Insidious
by Shura Pirate
Summary: (AU/Canon) Connected drabbles starting with the Dracula show: They were as different as the blue sky in the day and the inky blackness of night. And yet, she was getting under his thick skin without permission; he was plaguing her thoughts far more often than she cared to admit. It was confusing, chaotic, and completely unwanted. It was...insidious.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I've done drama, angst, friendship and romantic comedy...I'm curious about writing something along the lines of dark drama/romance. But knowing me, it probably won't be quite as dark as the word means.

This is sort of canon, but with my own spin on certain events. I may not cover everything that occurred-so it is AU in that way. This will be drabble chapters that are connected, like _Shifts in the Days_.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kaleido Star or it's characters.

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Insidious-Definitions

Adjective

1. intended to entrap or beguile: an insidious plan.

2. treacherous or deceitful: an insidious enemy.

3. operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect: an insidious disease.

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The tall figure of the God of Death crossed his arms as he observed her perform on the Kids' Stage.

She held hands with the blonde young girl and together, they jumped on the trampoline. Her big, infectious smile invaded the young girl. His eyes briefly looked away from her to see that the smiling phenomenon infected the crowd as well.

He looked back as the audience cheered as they jumped around on the trampolines like a pair of fools.

This is what she defied him for?

_Preposterous._

He made up his mind to go, to leave and join May in the practice room but he found his feet firmly planted on the ground. His eyes also stayed on the stage as the sun shone on her tanned skin and made her red hair look like it was aflame.

_Wild, untamed fire..._

His hands clenched and his eyes narrowed. The first time he had these thoughts about her, he figured it was a fluke, some strange fascination that would disappear with time.

She was...an oddity, for certain. The like which he had not come across before. Challenge after challenge, she has lost and show after show she has proved nothing to him.

And yet...

There was something about her that made him look again. Some force or energy that was entirely her own.

He knew not how long he stayed before May found him, nor did he care, quite honestly. She stood next to him, asking him why he was here.

He gave no answer; he owed her none.

The Chinese acrobat huffed at his silence, but followed his unending gaze over to the stage. The show ended with loud cheers.

He watched her give a playful little curtsy with the young girl and then she waved very energetically with one hand as the other held her partner's. The upper part of her body moved as she waved to all sides.

When she came to the area he was standing, her hand and smile faltered.

He took a little enjoyment in making her react.

Undeterred, her smile returned as if nothing had occurred. She waved again, moving her attention away from him.

The dismissal both irritated and amused him.

Having stayed for far too long already, he whirled around, his long silver mane following the motion. His hands slipped into his pants' pockets as he walked back to the real stage, faintly registering May calling his name and then her hurried footsteps.

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AN: You like? Good, bad, not sure yet?


	2. Chapter 2

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Sora pulled her tank top back on.

_What was he doing there?_

If he wanted to intimidate her into giving up the Kids' Stage, he was in for a big surprise. That stage was needed and just as important as the main stage.

Of course she didn't hate the _Dracula _show.

Mia put a lot of time and effort in putting the script together for it. It was an amazing piece that showed her friend's ability to incorporate individual personality into fictional characters.

She was proud to be a part of that.

However, she just wished it didn't scare the kids as much as it did.

_Maybe if a certain someone toned down on the creepiness of vampires the kids would actually enjoy it!_

Sora pouted as she pulled out her phone.

_The next show starts in thirty minutes._

Did she have time to go shower? She'd hate to get into her bat costume all sweaty from the Kids' Stage.

_My dorm's kind of far..._

There were showers in the locker room so she could snag a clean towel from the front desk, but she didn't have any shampoo.

"I'm sure someone will be willing to share."

She hefted her shoulder bag and left her dressing room.

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The _Dracula _cast slowly trickled to the backstage.

Leon's watchful eyes looked over by the entrance as cast members came. His eyes boredly drifted away as none of the newcomers had red hair. May stood nearby fussing over some aspect of her costume.

A cheery "hello" brought his attention back to the entrance as she greeted her friends. His head slightly tilted as he noticed that her hair looked a shade or two darker.

_She must have showered._

The darker coloring that her damp hair created looked alright, but he found that he preferred the lighter shade.

His hands paused as they pulled out a hand sized case from his jacket pocket. His brows frowned for a half second and then his face smoothed over again.

_Strange fascination indeed._

He was a bit perturbed by it.

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	3. Chapter 3

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She was aware that his gaze was on her—it was a little hard to ignore the sensation of that unnerving look of his—but she refused to let him distract her from her friend's conversation.

"So did your costume feel comfortable?" asked Mia.

"Oh yeah, it was nice! Was someone else's costume itchy?"

Mia laughed. "Oh no. Anna and Sarah said that theirs were fine. I'm just double checking." She gently tapped the side of her head as her tongue stuck out. "Worry Wart Mode comes out more often than I would like it to."

She gave a short laugh at that; Mia joined in.

Anna came over in the middle and asked what was so funny. As Mia talked with Anna, she caught the movement of silver in the corner of her eye.

Briefly, she turned her head a little, but upon seeing that it was Leon's hair, she deftly turned her head back most of the way. She curiously watched from one eye as Leon opened some case. The flash of white made comprehension dawn.

_It's his mouthpiece for the fangs._

Her eye went back to her friends. Not even two seconds later, that eye drifted over to him as he put the piece in. Having never tried a mouthpiece before, she found herself curious about how it stayed in. She watched, begrudgedly, as he gradually pushed upwards with his thumbs on the front part of the piece. Done with that, he bit down a few times to make sure it was in.

She hadn't noticed, but in the middle of watching him her head had turned some more.

Leon did notice.

Suddenly, his head turned towards her as he snapped his teeth in her direction. She slightly jumped as he gave her a ferocious smirk that showed his fangs.

Embarrassed, she turned her head back.

_How can May perform with him?_

The man was frightening.

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	4. Chapter 4

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The show ended with loud, fanatical screams.

He stood next to May on the same swing, taking care that their ice skates didn't tangle with each other. That would be a disgrace and he would deserve the scorn if such a thing were to occur.

They were clapping and screaming out his name, as if to draw his attention and glance. He had noticed the calling out before, but he hadn't really noticed the faces of the audience members. They were jeering and looking at him with unabashed want. May had a smug face on and faintly waved to them, but only to those in front of her.

Underneath all the noise, he heard childish laughter.

His eyes went to the floor of the stage with the ice. He watched as Sora and her two friends did a few ice skating tricks for the kids that were there. Some kids came close to the divider of the stage and the audience. Seeing them, Sora skated towards them, adding in a stylish jump twirl and then she landed, skating the rest of the way backwards.

Her friends came over with two small bags that had been hidden behind a stage scene prop.

As Sora signed some autographs, her friends passed out some goodies. He was slightly curious what the items were, but did not deem it too necessary.

The overhead stage lights flashed, letting the performers know that they were going to turn it off. With a wave to the kids from all sides, she parted the ice rink with her friends.

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Leon changed out of his ice skates and into regular shoes.

He walked down the hallway to his dressing room, passing the gophers darting here and there with costumes and props as well as other performers eager to get back into their own outfits.

Among the hustle, he spotted Sora jogging down the corroder to the main lobby with the two bags from before. He didn't fail to notice that she was still in costume.

_Curious job._

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Sora passed out the items as Ken passed out flyers for the Kids' Stage.

She smiled and waved, pausing to sign the few autographs that were asked of her. "Come visit the Kids' Stage sometime! We have performances in the daytime over in the back!"

"This is a great idea," Ken stated as he watched a boy play with the bat yo-yo that Sora gave him.

"Well, I figured that this could be a way to help the kids enjoy some aspect of Kaleido Stage if the main show scared them." She passed a girl a purple bat hair clip as she talked with Ken. "People don't always remember that little things can change a negative experience. If the kids remember the fun or the toys, then they'll want to come again!"

"I want a yo-yo," the little girl pouted.

"We can swap," Sora laughed and took the hair clip back. "Here you go!"

"Thanks!" Her young face beamed and then she ran over to her parents who were waiting nearby. The mother smiled and the father nodded his head in Sora and Ken's direction.

Sora's smile grew a little wistful, but then she snapped out of it as another kid approached.

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	5. Chapter 5

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Leon walked through the main lobby, spotting quite a few little girls wearing purple hair clips.

Something smacked the back of his leg, making him stop in his step.

A boy between 8 and 10 came over and picked up the yo-yo that had hit Leon. The boy said a quick "sorry" and then started to restring the toy.

Boy and acrobat stared at each other.

"You're a scary vampire."

Leon arched a brow. "Vampires are frightening creatures."

"That's what I told my sister," the boy gave a half shrug, "but she still thinks you're a dreamy vampire." Unperturbed that he was saying things he shouldn't he finished with, "She's got posters of that one vampire that sparkles in the sun or something. She'll probably get one of you too."

"Patrick!"

The boy turned his head to a seventeen year old girl coming towards him, but he stayed where he was. Flustered, the girl approached with barely contained glee on her face.

"Sorry Mr. Leon. Is my brother bothering you?"

"Not particularly." After that, he made to move away until the girl called out to him. Biting back a sigh, he paused in his step, already knowing what she was going to ask.

"Could I get your autograph?"

"I don't do autographs when I'm out of costume," he neutrally intoned the much used excuse, "The same goes for photos and any other sort of fan paraphernalia."

The girl's brows furrowed at the last word he used. "Well, how about a recording?"

This time, Leon did sigh. "No."

Promptly he walked away, missing the dropping of the girl's jaw at the blunt refusal.

"See?" Leon faintly heard Patrick say, "not all vampires are dreamboats."

"Shut it, Patrick!"

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	6. Chapter 6

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Sora and Ken had seen the interaction.

"Did you hear what she asked him?"

Ken shook his head. "No, but I bet you a dollar that it was for an autograph or a picture."

Sora gave him a grin. "Bets usually are on one thing."

"Haha! True, true. But we're not actually betting."

Her grin waned as Leon walked closer to their position.

His walk bothered her. It was filled with confidence and self-assurance, she could hear it screaming 'massive ego.' And then that aloof air that was mixed in there added a layer of conceit that rubbed her the wrong way.

Then, he passed them without sparing a glance.

_Not a simple nod of the head or any sort of acknowledgement._

The knowledge made her boil inside.

"Fans are people," she said to his back. The statement wasn't what she originally wanted to say, but it worked out for her. It made the stone man pause. "Your co-workers as well."

Next to her, Ken tried to get her attention, but she shrugged it off.

_Someone's got to say something._

Leon's back was still to them; however his head slightly turned so that his eye made contact with her. She stared back, unafraid of whatever he had to say to her.

"If I ever need the obvious said to me," he started in a slow, low voice, "I'll come to you."

Her eyes narrowed and flashed with indignation.

_He's mocking me._

She took a step towards him—to do what, she didn't know—she just _burned_ with the desire to act, to do _something_ that would get through to him and his egotistical self.

Ken grabbed her arm before she could get any closer. She pulled at her arm, trying to break his hold on her. Leon's eye was laughing at her, daring her to come closer and see what would happen if she approached him.

"Shrug it off," Ken mumbled in her ear. "He's not worth the anger."

The word "anger" ringed in her head. She blinked out of the cloud that Leon's words and actions put her under.

_Since when am I quick to anger?_

She was dismayed to find out that Leon tended to do that to her. There was the time he walked off the stage and then the blowout she had when he insulted Layla. Her arm slacked as the feeling drained out of her. Ken hesitantly released her arm; he kept his hand up in case he needed to grab her again.

This wasn't her at all.

"Be sure to do that," she simply said and then walked off before Leon could do it to her.

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When she called out to him, he wasn't surprised.

When her eyes were snapping at him with irritation, he admired the way the emotion colored her normal brown irises.

That said, he had been a bit disappointed when her friend spoke to her and her fighting stance relaxed. That had been anticlimactic.

Though, her last words spoke of a lingering fire and her actions told him that she wasn't giving up, not by a long shot.

He put the key in the ignition and started his car.

_That smile hides your temper too well._

But he was slowly learning that the mask wasn't indestructible.

He let out a half smirk at the thought. His car pulled out in reverse as he made his way to his apartment.

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	7. Chapter 7

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The icy air from the rink felt refreshing against her skin.

May had her old skating outfit on as she practiced. She bent on one leg, stuck the other one out and spun around in a circle. Her hands gripped the portion of her skate without the blade as she reveled in the sensation.

Her ears caught the sound of another pair of skates against the ice. Her tall partner was around, somewhere, practicing as well.

She inwardly preened at the thought of being accepted as his partner and not that half baked redhead who had the gall to call herself a performer. Finally, a real star was the leading lady. Things were in balance and she couldn't be happier.

Well, almost in balance...

There were times when her partner seemed to be distracted, for the lack of a better word. She wouldn't dare to suggest that out loud, especially not to the man himself. It wasn't anything major, but just little things, like how he tended to look down at the ice rink when they were up on the trapeze getting their applause at the end of the shows or how he disappeared somewhere between performances before she could come up to him.

_I don't get it._

Didn't partners do things to make them more in-sync?

The only times she saw him were during practice and the performances. She was new to the partner thing, but so far, it wasn't quite what she had imagined it to be.

She smoothly moved out of her twirl and just slid along the ice. Her blue eyes caught the sight of Leon back flipping and then gliding on one leg. His poise was incredible; his composure awe inspiring.

A slight tint of pink formed on her cheeks as she made her decision. She began to skate over to him when he skated away from her. Her brows rose when he moved over to the opening border and off the rink.

"You're leaving already?"

He was now sitting on the bench as he unlaced his skates. His eyes blankly stared at her, silently questioning her audacity to be asking him such a thing.

"That was enough," he intoned.

She turned a little red at his matter-of-fact statement, making her embarrassed at having asked him that question. It distracted her long enough for him to have changed his shoes. With ice skates in hand, he stood up and walked to the exit.

"W-Wait!"

He paused.

"Ah Leon, are you busy this afternoon?"

"Yes."

She blinked at the blunt tone, a little hurt by it. She quickly shoved the feeling aside.

"Oh, alright. See you later then."

He strode out as if he hadn't paused to begin with. Her lips pursed at the aloof nature of her partner. She won the spinning challenge when Sora pathetically failed it. Even so, his eyes had narrowed when she gloated about it. Then, he had grabbed her chin and brought her face to his.

_"Can you perform as brilliantly as me?" he had murmured to her._

Her face was rosy in memory of his low voice.

_That's a sign, right?_

That action, plus her winning the role and becoming his partner, those all added up to him liking her. She was pretty sure of it. "He's over playing the aloof role, though." She frowned at that. She didn't mind some chasing, but it was getting a little ridiculous.

_Maybe I need to be more assertive?_

That was probably it. A guy like him, he must be chased by a lot of girls. He must _have _to be so aloof for that reason. She wondered if his answer earlier had been a test and she failed it by backing down too easily.

Her head slowly nodded at her reasoning.

Yes, that must be it.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews, Royalbluekitsune! :D


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Oh how the ideas are flooding my brain...XD

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Leon grabbed an early lunch and then headed back to the Kaleido Stage.

Locking his car, he calmly slipped his keys into his pocket as he walked out of the parking lot. His eyes looked at the large clock on the building and nodded in approval.

He was on schedule.

It had been pure chance that he heard the adjustment to the times. Luckily for him, her friends were loud people so it hadn't been eavesdropping when the later afternoon show had been moved to an earlier time.

He didn't really care why it had been, he had simply filed the information away for future reference.

Initially, he had been dismayed that his mind was re-configuring his mental schedule to allow the time change. However, he found that, despite his disapproval of the show, he wanted to catch it again.

He told himself it was to further analyze it so that he could build a case against it.

Cheering could be heard, even from this distance. His eyes noted the bright colors and the balloons tied around the stadium seating.

_Childish._

By the time he made it over, it was halfway through. He didn't mind though. They had the same order of performances show after show.

_It should be the seal and the girl with purple hair._

Walking up the short steps, he looked at the stage and saw that he was correct. Laughter filled the air as the seal tripped up the girl and made a fool out her. His hands went into his pockets as he stood in the back and waited.

His patience was rewarded when familiar red hair appeared on the stage.

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Ken was watching the show from the sidelines, admiring the way Sora's smile made everything brighter.

He let out his own smile.

The audience, as always, loudly cheered as the performance ended. Her cute waving and beaming smile filled his heart with warmth. He looked over the audience, taking in how they appreciated her.

_This is what she was meant for._

She deserved the cheers and applause. It upset him so much that she was no longer the center of that on the main stage. He thought it was unfair and a cruel twist of fate.

_After all she's done, after all the struggles she's gone through..._

The initial auditions, the Golden Phoenix trial, all the mean gossip and the challenges of _Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Arabian Nights, _and then their last show before Yuri took over the stage and they were left without a place of their own.

The harshest experience had to have been Layla's injury. She may not talk about it often, but Ken knew she was still grieving the loss of her partner.

_Now, she's been demoted; forced to perform with the newbies._

Sora smiled about it, saying that she'll just have to pass the next auditions. He knew she would rather perform than not be a part of the production, but he was still upset for her. Unknowingly, Ken frowned as he caught _him_ standing in the back, silent and still as he looked on them with judgment in his eyes.

_What was Kalos thinking, letting such a man call the shots?_

It didn't make much sense to him and he doubted anyone else knew Kalos' reasoning, not even Sarah. The Frenchman was the antithesis of what the Kaleido Stage stood for...

What Sora stood for...

He just didn't understand.

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	9. Chapter 9

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Sora quickly blow-dried her hair in the dressing room.

With the demand for another noontime slot for _Dracula_, running from the Kids' Stage to the shower in the locker room and then quickly getting into her bat costume was starting to feel a little tight with the amount of time she had to get ready.

But she'd adjust to it soon enough-she had to if the Kids' Stage was to survive.

_I'm just relieved that my friends are willing to adjust with me._

Well, Ken had to leave earlier to set up with the technical aspects of the new time slot, but she was glad that he came even for just a part of the show.

_He's a trouper._

She smiled as she shut off the blowdryer.

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Sora fast walked over to the backstage, not wanting to be late when someone's dressing room suddenly opened.

The door closed and she frowned.

Her steps slowed as Leon's form joined her in the hallway. He reminded her of his continued presence at the Kids' Stage for the afternoon showtimes. Granted, he only came for one time slot-she'd lose her mind if he came to more than once a day-and it wasn't for the whole show. But his standing form in the back of the outside stadium day after day was starting to test her resolution.

She had told herself that he wouldn't get to her.

After that day when Ken held her back, after she realized that she was angry, she decided that the anger she felt wasn't a part of her, nor did she want it to _become_ a part of herself.

_He's not worth it_.

All that energy, all that _thought_ she gave to the cold man wasn't worth it.

Yes, she was working to be acknowledged by him, but not at the cost of her _dignity_. She didn't appreciate the way he looked at his fellow performers like they were insignificant. It was like they were all a part of the scenery instead of being members of the stage.

Skills aside, they were all on the same level.

With that in mind, she gave him a nod.

He might not be willing to recognize the humanity in others, but she had no qualms about that. Though he rubbed her the wrong way, he was still human even if he pretended to be above them.

His head slightly tilted to the side in a curious fashion.

Unwillingly, her eyes saw the long, silver piece that hung from his ear. She wondered then, without realizing that she was sparing him a thought, why he had two piercings on each ear.

One was the norm. Two almost seemed unnecessary and yet it spoke of something. She couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

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His eyes noted her distraction.

He let out a half smirk, making sure that the fangs were revealed in the motion. Her big eyes rounded at the sudden show of white and then they went back to normal.

"You're going to be late."

Her eye twitched, but nothing else spoke of her emotions.

"So are you," she said in as flat of a tone as she could.

His smirk widened for a moment and then he turned around, giving her his back. As he walked away, he couldn't help but say one last comment to her.

"Go back to the coconut shampoo," he drawled, "the vanilla's too overpowering."

He didn't see her face, but her intake of breath made the exchange worth it.

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Her mouth dropped open at his last comment.

She realized what the double piercing said to her.

_Daring._

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AN: Writing Leon and Sora this way's kind of fun! XD


	10. Chapter 10

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It was the middle of the week which meant a lull in the showings.

Sora, for one, could use the break and Sarah too, apparently. Having spotted the redhead by the bus stop, Sarah slowed the car and brightly called out to her.

"Need a lift, pretty lady?"

With a grin, Sora got into the convertible. Slipping her sunglasses back on, Sarah blindly pointed to the glove compartment.

"There's an extra pair in there."

Sora unfolded the neon green frames and put them on her face.

"Where to?" Sarah asked as she stopped at a red light.

"To the drugstore and then the grocery store." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I forgot to go earlier in the week and I'm out of supplies."

Sarah tsked. "All work and no fun." The diva uncovered her eyes momentarily. "How about some lunch first? It'll be my treat!"

Her stomach grumbled a little. "Lunch sounds great."

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The ladies sat outside of an Italian bistro as the weather was pretty nice.

Sarah's sunglasses had been pushed back and rested on top of her hair. Sora had placed her borrowed glasses back into the glove compartment.

She had gotten some meat and cheese ravioli while Sarah ordered some shrimp pasta.

Their gelato ice creams were half gone when the bill came. Smoothly, Sarah pulled out a brown leather wallet and started to get some bills out.

_That's funny. I thought Sarah's wallet would be more colorful._

Sora scooped some more gelato into her mouth as her eyes caught the sight of the blue convertible parked by the sidewalk. She's had the feeling she'd seen it before, but this was the first time she'd seen Sarah driving. _How weird._

"I didn't know you had a car."

Sarah smiled. "Oh, I don't."

Sora blinked as the statement processed and was passed onto another portion of her brain to make connections. _Blue convertible._

_Blue...BLUE!_

"You took the Boss' car!"

Sarah's smile looked devious. "'Took' is far too strong of a word. I intend to return it after pampering myself for a bit."

The redhead suspiciously looked at the normal wallet again as the diva laid a generous amount for a tip. She'd bet the rest of her strawberry pocky that the car wasn't the only thing Sarah "borrowed."

Seeing the teen's look, Sarah laughed.

"We had a disagreement and I am entitled to an afternoon of compensation."

She took a large mouthful of her gelato and then stood up, the diva's heels making a light clacking sound as she moved out of her seat. Sora got out of her shock and followed her friend.

"Won't he get mad?"

Sarah paused in moving her sunglasses. "Maybe a little," she admitted. "But I prefer the subtle ways of expressing my continued discontent than the verbal ways." The glasses slid over her eyes. "It's more aggravating for him and fun for me."

Sora shook her head at her friend's grin.

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They were at the drugstore for a stock up on a few necessities.

With her plastic basket, Sora grabbed a new pack of soap bars, deodorant, and some toothpaste. She went over her mental list and a sign advertising a sale on shampoo and conditioner reminded her of the other items she needed.

Her hand hovered over the coconut shampoo when she stopped herself. In her mind, she heard _his_ arrogant voice telling her what to use.

_That condescending jerk!_

She thought about Sarah's comment about subtlety being more powerful than speech. Narrowing her eyes, she passed the coconut and zeroed in on the vanilla.

She grabbed three bottles.

_Vanilla's better anyways._

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AN: Let the games begin...or continue, since it's already started. :P


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I'm so excited that people are liking this story so far! :D

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For the last few days, she made sure that the only scent she had was vanilla.

Before, she'd try not to run into the Pegasus of the Stage for fear of her temper getting the better of her. Now though...not so much. As of late, she seemed to be noticing him around a lot more frequently.

Or maybe she was just more aware of him.

Under the shade of a tree, she took a sip of her milk shake as she lounged on the grass, enjoying the short break.

A while back she noticed that Leon tended to walk through this part of the property during their breaks. On occasion she liked to come over here as well, but when she had found him in the area that one time she promptly left and found another place to roost in.

She missed this piece of greenery; it was about time she returned to it.

Idly, she tapped her feet together as her back rested along the trunk of the tree. She hummed some little tune as she watched two squirrels bickering in the tree across from her.

"Enjoying yourself?"

She yelped around her straw as his voice sounded very close to her. Her hands fumbled with her drink and managed to keep it from falling onto the grass. Her head darted to the side and found Leon casually leaning on the side of the tree.

"I was," she bit out. His amused face made her a little irritated.

_He didn't come from the main path._

He must have seen her from afar and taken an alternate route. Her eyes looked past him as she took in the area he must have come through. There were wood chips and dirt before the grassy area.

_Did he tiptoe over here or something? I didn't even hear his approach!_

She stiffened in place as he leaned over her. His long hair slid over his shoulder to lightly tickle her arm. Said arm flinched at the cool touch, but she pretended it didn't happen. His head went to the side in order to peer at the contents of her drink.

"White chocolate?"

With a bit of a smug tone, she corrected, "Vanilla bean."

She had only registered a flash of something in his grey eyes before he abruptly straightened up. His face was impassive as he flicked his hair over his shoulder-a move that could be seen as feminine, but when he did it, it strangely did not seem so-and then he turned away from her.

"Don't come back late," he instructed and then he walked away.

She let out a triumphant smile.

_Gotcha._

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	12. Chapter 12

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Leon quickly strode away from the area he found her in.

His face twitched and a fist came up to cover his mouth. His ever vigilant eyes looked around the new area, analyzing and assessing the distance of the people around.

_Still too many._

He moved further away and then finally, _finally_, the area was devoid of others. A rumbling sound escaped him, turning into chuckles. Her face had been worth it to see as she declared her drink's flavor, thinking that she had one upped him for once.

His chuckles grew deeper as he shook his head.

_How you must be congratulating yourself on your victory._

At that, he laughed-an action that was so foreign for him to experience that it almost bewildered him, especially when he found that he could not stop. But continue he did as he saw her face in his head and her voice telling him what it was.

"Vanilla bean," he laughed out.

He had noticed that she acted as he had hoped she would. Instead of going with the coconut scent, she went with the vanilla. Day after day, she came to the backstage smelling of it, making it that much harder for him to keep the smirk off of his face.

And then she had to go and get a _drink_ of it too...

"You don't even realize what you're doing," his head shook as he smirked.

How he'd love to just tell her that she had fallen for his trap. But it was much too soon to do that. He rather liked smelling that fragrance; he could tell which room she had been in by the scent of vanilla and if she had walked down a specific corridor recently.

If he told her now, she definitely wouldn't use that scent again.

_I'm not ready to let that go just yet._

He let out one last laugh and then calmed himself down. His face was its impassive mask, not a trace of his earlier amusement to be seen except for one area. Under the sun, his cloudy grey eyes glinted.

He was _extremely_ pleased that she accepted his challenge.

The gleam of determination made her eyes look better.

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	13. Chapter 13

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May was starting to get upset.

What she thought would be a once-in-a-while occurrence was now a routine. Leon ended practice with her before she was done, leaving her floundering and alone on the ice to finish up while he went off to do some unknown thing.

_Can I even say that we practice together?_

Her frown deepened. She was not pleased. At all.

Though, what bothered her the most was that she's been wanting to ask him out, but he leaves before she has the chance to do so.

_What's a girl got to do for another opportunity?_

She had missed the first chance and Leon was making it hard for her to try again.

Like clockwork, Leon skated over to the bench outside of the rink. He bent over to get rid of the skates and then switched to his shoes. Without another glance to her, he walked out of the place.

When the door closed, she moved into action.

Promptly, she got off of the ice and hastily switched her footwear.

She was going to find out _where_ he went. She didn't care if he got upset about her following him secretly. Whatever it was, he had deemed it to be more important than practice.

...More important than staying with her.

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Ken hadn't been certain at first, but after seeing it occur a few times more, he was sure.

From the side of the backstage, he saw Sora walk by Leon. That was normal enough, however, when she casually tussled her hair and spared at glance at the tall man, to which Leon raised a silver brow at her action, which caused her eyes to narrow and the corner of the stoic man's mouth to twitch in what Ken could only assume was the beginning of a smirk.

To that, she promptly looked away from him and walked to her friends.

Sora did a similar thing when they passed each other in the hallways or when they got off of the stage. The times that Ken was able to stay for all of the Kids' Show performances, he managed to notice that Sora sneaked a glance or two over at where Leon usually stood.

_She's provoking him._

Why, Ken wasn't sure. But for her well-being, he hoped she knew what she was doing. He sighed and packed his things, needing to head over to the main stage. The sounds of the trampolines made him look over at her for another glance and then he discretely headed over to the exit.

On his way out, he caught the unmistakable form of one Leon Oswald standing in the back. Why did that man come if he was so against this kind of stage?

_Maybe he's provoking her back._

Ken lightly frowned. He seriously hoped Sora had a plan behind gaining Leon's attention or else things were going to get pretty hectic around here.

_Not that things were calm before._

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AN: Games are rarely only about the players...


	14. Chapter 14

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Still in her flower costume, she headed over to the main stage.

It was Friday tomorrow, meaning a busy weekend for the casts of both Dracula and the Kids' Stage. She stretched her arms above her head as she walked. _Got one long shift tonight. _Her breath came out in an overly extended sigh.

_If only the prices for the toys hadn't gone up…_

She shook the thought away from her head. There was no use in thinking like that. If she wanted to keep having toys for after the Dracula shows, it was a necessity—simple as that. She decisively nodded to herself.

Steady steps were behind her; she didn't have to turn around to see who it was.

IN

His eyes had followed her progression until he deemed that he should move himself.

He was not worried of losing sight of her. With that red hair and then the combination of her sunny yellow and orange flower getup, it was rather difficult to _not_ see her. No, he took his time coming to her because he _knew_ that she was waiting for him to approach.

Perhaps subconsciously done, but he noted that she had slowed her walking pace when he had yet to come to her. The thought pleased him far more than it should have, but he was starting to not care about analyzing why he felt the things he did.

He was enjoying their little exchanges as of late.

The flash of fire in her eyes, the new tones of voice that he had yet to hear her use with other people, and then the somewhat subtle ruffling of her hair as she passed him by in order to make the smell of vanilla float into the air.

"Did you lose your way to the bathroom?" she wirily intoned without turning around.

A half smirk appeared on his face. "That's not why I'm here."

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AN: You can't use that excuse Leon! :P


	15. Chapter 15

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"Then why are you here?" she asked, feeling his fingers touch her hair. She turned her head around as his hand now reached the accessory in her hair.

"Why an orange ball, of all things?"

She shrugged. "Why not? You have feathery fluff along your costume's collar."

"That's not an answer."

"Neither was yours."

If she had blinked, she would have missed the slight crinkling of amusement along the corners of his eyes. It faded away, of course. Any emotions other than smugness or disgust tended to do that. She didn't know why, but the thought annoyed her.

"Why are you here?" she repeated.

The hand that was barely touching her hair had gone down and towards the side of her neck. It paused before it did, her question bringing his mind back into focus. His fingers curled as the hand retreated to his side.

"You know why," he murmured.

Her head tilted slightly. "I didn't realize I was acknowledged."

Before he fully registered the light that had filtered into her eyes, his mouth, out of force of habit responded with an arrogance that had been strangely missing in the past two weeks.

"You're not."

The light quickly died. He felt a slight twinge inside for having extinguished something that he had initially been the cause. If he was one for acting on his remorse, he would have said something to rekindle that light.

Inwardly, she berated herself for having suggested that he was here because of that. She had momentarily forgotten that it was all a game; him touching her hair had thrown her off, had made her wonder if he was here because of something else. The familiar action made her forget, but she recalled that he had touched May's face before.

May was his partner; she was not.

He acknowledged the dark haired beauty; she was left standing alone, cast off to the side.

A simple touch of her hair shouldn't have thrown her mind into such a frenzy. He was adding a new level to the game—that was all. Her brows furrowed.

_Everything's a tool to him._

"Of course not," she tartly said. She backed away from him until she was in the shadow of the building. "How stupid of me to have said."

She looked at his still form for a few seconds more and then retreated into the haven of the building.

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AN: Him and his arrogance...*shakes head*


	16. Chapter 16

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The haunting music of Dracula sounded in her ears.

May twirled on the ice with Leon, their hairs of silver and black blurring around themselves as they spun. She hadn't noticed, but she was slightly out of sync. Her mind was distracted as it replayed over and over again the sight of Leon touching Sora's hair.

She frowned in agitation.

Was it because she wasn't stepping up to the plate? Did her hesitance make Leon look elsewhere?

She felt a little bit of the sting that had appeared when she first found Leon over by the Kids' Stage. Despite his disapproval of its existence, he was taking the time to go see a show.

_Why?_

Her ego felt bruised at the following thought that came into her mind as an answer. He had stayed until _she _came out and then proceeded to follow her over to the main building.

_That strumpet…she must have done something to make him come._

She inwardly seethed. She was Leon's partner; what right did Sora have to be distracting him away from her? She was sure that the fake was trying to sabotage her.

_Pathetic!_

They smoothly stopped spinning and were now facing each other. Leon pointedly stared at May in a silent message:

'Get your act together.'

May's frown smoothed over as Leon skated around her to stop at her back. She basked in the warmth of his body as his arms wrapped around her torso.

He manipulated her body to skate backwards with him. She angled her head towards him as they skated. His face looked sinister and intense with the strange mixture of allurement and enticement.

Her face looked entranced; Dracula gave a dark smile upon seeing it.

_I'll get my act together_. She promised. _You won't regret it._

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AN: Just a side note, this probably will be a shorter drabble story (definitely not as long as _Shifts in the Days _which is in the hundreds!) but I'm not sure how long yet.

Bringing the usage of strumpet back. Watch out! :P


	17. Chapter 17

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The bat performers circled around as Dracula led the entranced Mina along the ice.

Sora wasn't as energetic as usual, but she kept up with her fellow performers. The incident with Leon earlier was still on her mind. It really shouldn't be, after all, he has yet to tell her that he acknowledged her. She had jumped to her own conclusions and she had been wrong. That wasn't anything new.

So then, why did she feel so down?

IN

Dracula looked around at his minions as he further entranced his victim.

His gaze stayed on Sora for a second or two longer than it should have been. He was appalled that she was not staring back with her challenging gaze like other times. Her eyes weren't even on him. His physical features stayed in character, but inside, he felt vexed.

Usually, they ran into each other in the hallway, but not today. When they were all backstage before the performance, she stayed over with her friends instead of finding some reason to walk by him and let him smell the vanilla shampoo.

She was back to ignoring him, her blasé version of the cold shoulder.

It was like the past two weeks had never occurred.

Their little quibbles, the stares, her look of determination mixed with the little half smile of amusement at some phrase or word he said that she thought was somewhat funny, none of that occurred today.

He was faintly aware that her lack of action was a result of what he said that afternoon. However, he was not the sort of person to say one thing and then a second later retract what was said. What was the use of doing that? The only thing it proves is a fickle temperament.

_Say what you mean, mean what you say._

It was not his fault that she had assumed that his presence there meant that he was acknowledging her as a performer. There was potential in her; he could admit that to himself. Her skills, though, needed more refinement.

All the bats knelt down and then looked up at him. He presented Mina to them all the while looking over her head to look at Sora. Her head was slightly lower than the others and her eyes were on his skates.

His eyes hardened into stone as his vexation grew.

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	18. Chapter 18

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Backstage, after the show ended, May approached Leon.

"Don't lose focus in the middle of productions," he scolded her before she could talk, "I will not hesitate to cut your time."

The few performers that were still backstage paused to look at them. They had been around for Saiyuki; they knew that he meant what he said.

May knew as well.

His eyes looked even more unnerving today; she couldn't fathom why such a minor slip of concentration had him in a mood. She involuntarily swallowed, but then schooled herself. She was a _professional_ after all.

"It won't happen again." Straightening her spine, she spoke, "Please allow me to apologize for the mistake with dinner."

He looked at her with a raised brow.

"That won't be necessary."

Steeling her nerves, she bowed her head a little. "I realize that it was foolish of me to have been unfocused; I only mean to show my sincerity when I said that it won't occur another time."

He was quiet for a long stretch of time. Then, he turned around and gave a silent sigh to himself.

"Do what you want."

IN

Leon walked the long hallway back to his dressing room.

His face was brooding as he attempted to calm himself down. He was a figure of control and balance, skill, poise, and above all, stoic.

Things did not faze him.

There were no weakness to exploit, no soft spot that was left open for the vindictive performer to tease out and stab a knife into. He had learned to thicken his skin so words did not penetrate. Later, he was taught rather ruthlessly that there was no room for compassion within competitive fields.

If there was a way to cheat, the common man would take it.

Tricks and lies, manipulation and jealousy were old tools of humankind.

_Emotions hinder more than help._ It was not necessarily a statement he came up with or _wanted _to live by, but more of a truth he had found to hold weight. If it didn't, he would allow himself the weakness of showing emotions. He'd welcome the warmth that came from laughter or the delight that grew from having interactions with a certain performer.

He'd touch her soft hair again just to see her eyes look up at him from beneath wild bangs.

Leon paused in his stride as his thoughts changed direction. With a slight widening of the eyes, he registered the lingering vanilla in the hallway. He let out a long breath and then blanked his face again.

_Distractions._

That's what emotions were.

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AN: Feelings getting all mixed up. What fun!


	19. Chapter 19

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From the last showing of Dracula, Sora took the bus to the restaurant she worked at during some of the weekdays.

With her previous job experience, she managed to snag a part time job here as a waitress. Thankfully, she didn't have to wear something that looked like a maid's outfit—she was sure that previous place she worked at when she was trying to feed Jonathan on her own had quirky tastes when it came to the work outfit.

She had chosen somewhere with flexible hours in case Kalos had the cast do something after the shows. On occasion, Kalos did a meet and greet with the VIP members. It wasn't anything fancy, just some photo ops with them in costume and signing autographs without having to fight through a crowd. The more elaborate parties were reserved for opening nights and very popular shows with the media present.

She balanced a round tray of drinks on one hand and a larger tray with the appetizers on the other. Carefully weaving her way through tables and people, she got to the medium sized table in the back of the place.

"Thank you for waiting" she cheerily said as she placed the drinks down on the table, "Where do you want the appetizers?"

IN

May was in the passenger seat as Leon drove them downtown.

She looked out the window as she tried to pick out a good place. "What kind of food do you want?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw him shrug. _Well that's helpful_. She withheld the urge to roll her eyes in fear of him seeing the action and getting on his bad side.

Seeing an open spot on the street, Leon smoothly pulled the car into it. May turned towards him as he shifted the gear. "We'll find some place as we walk."

His comment made her hopeful.

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He honestly didn't have a preference of food at the moment.

He just wanted the favor to be done and over with. In the short amount of time he's known the girl, he knew that she'd just keep bugging him about going out until he wanted to hole up in his apartment and not come back. So sparing himself the headache, he agreed to it.

It might even take his mind off of things.

They passed two places so far since May had deemed them unacceptable. He inwardly sighed and looked at the other side of the street in the off chance that there was something suitable over there. In doing so, he caught the flash of red hair entering the kitchen side door.

He blinked, not certain if he was simply seeing things and merely thought that he saw _her _of all peoples over there.

"This looks good," came May's voice.

He took note of the restaurant name that the redhead had entered and then turned his attention to the place May was pointing at. It seemed fine, but so had the previous ones they passed.

He gave her a nod and then they entered.

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Sora came back from running a quick errand for the chef.

"Thanks a bunch, you're a doll!"

She smiled as she retied her half apron around her waist. "It was no problem. Just let me know if you need me to do another errand."

"Thanks for offering, but I don't think you'll have time again tonight. A large party came in and Reggie needs your help with the serving." The chef pointed at the numerous small plates set out for food. "Just look at all the appetizers they ordered!"

"Big parties mean tips!" she called out as she went through the door.

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	20. Chapter 20

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The weekend came faster than Sora had wanted it to.

She had gotten back from waitressing late Thursday night and then woke up early to get a new batch of toys for the morning shows. Friday was a lot busier than the previous day, especially the late afternoon to night showings. The schools apparently made Friday a half day, so the Kids' Stage performances were packed.

From beneath the blankets, a tired groan came out as her alarm went off.

Blindly, her hand reached for her cell phone on the bedside table. Unfortunately, she only managed to knock the device off of the table and thud onto the floor—thankfully a carpeted floor.

"Fiddlesticks…" she grumbled.

Her head finally poked out as her upper body leaned over to grab the phone. She turned off the alarm and promptly dropped her head back onto the pillow. Her mind registered that it was Saturday, meaning that there was still Sunday to come for the weekend load of performances.

Her hands tiredly rubbed her face and then lightly slapped her cheeks.

"Wake up-wake up. There's much to do."

IN

Before the mid-morning show, Leon was on the ice warming up.

He glided in a lazy pattern of slow, slow, and then quick skates for a buildup of speed, then the return of the slow languid motions along the chilled surface. He turned around; skating backwards and idly took in the winding twin paths his blades created.

He was pensive this weekend, as well as frustrated.

The doors to the stage creaked, signaling May's arrival. With a quick turn, his body was back to skating forward.

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May tied on her skates as she half watched Leon on the ice.

His long silver hair streamed behind him and she thought about how good he looked with the dark practice clothes and the contrasting light hair. She patted herself on the back for having asked him out Thursday.

_Took me long enough._

While the actual dinner was rather quiet and Leon constantly looking out the window seeing who knows what, it was a start. She thought it had been peculiar that he had asked for a front window table, having pegged him as a dark corner booth sort of guy, but in hindsight, there was a lot she didn't know about the guy.

He was the silent mystery; enigmatic and full of secrets.

_Has a nice ring to it_.

She grinned at her description of him. The aloofness drew her in like crazy, aside from the good looks, and the idea that she could potentially get close to him threw her mind in a tizzy.

He had chosen her as a partner; he didn't cut out scenes of her performance unlike a certain redheaded dummy's. Her eyes were extremely smug. No, Leon kept all of her scenes.

_He wants me around._

That was a huge difference between Sora and her.

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AN: It's nice to see the reactions to chapters. Thank you for those who have reviewed and thanks to all who are reading! :)


	21. Chapter 21

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After Kalos read the latest e-mails and letters regarding the Dracula shows, he called Leon and May to his office for a quick meeting.

"We're having a meet and greet Sunday night," he stated as soon as they were in front of him. "This is not up for debate."

Leon crossed his arms. "What's prompted this? Our time could be better utilized."

Kalos' sunglasses reflected the light, hiding his eyes from them.

"I've received several complaints concerning the lack of opportunity to approach either one of you." Kalos stood up and put a hand in his pocket. "More like _zero _opportunities. Neither of you have been making appearances for autographs or photo ops. Our hired photographers don't have a _single _picture of fans with Dracula or Mina."

Most of the pictures were of children with Sora in her bat costume. Kalos hadn't been surprised by that; she was very willing to do little things for the audience.

However, she wasn't a leading performer anymore—a fact that Sarah has been on his case about for quite a while now. She wasn't pleased with Leon's treatment of Sora, judging by the continuous empty gas tank of his car and the bills missing in his wallet.

How she got a hold of his keys and wallet so frequently both amused and greatly baffled him.

"It shows bad taste that our leading male and female are not willing to interact with our guests. If either one of you want to continue to perform here, you are required to follow the rules of your contracts."

Something flitted through Leon's eyes. "All of them?"

"Every single line," was Kalos' stern clarification. "No exceptions."

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The late Saturday night performance had long ended.

Leon was in the living room of his apartment with a glass of dark wine and papers across the coffee table and in his hand. His eyes scrutinized the words of his contract. There were things specific to him since he was a long term guest performer. That part was not what he was interested in; however, he perused it again just to make sure he was aware of what was asked of him.

The glass went to his lips as he found the paragraph pertaining to all performers of the Kaleido Stage.

He put the glass down as he held the papers in both hands. Grey eyes moved from side to side as he read under the single light on in the living room. Eyes stopped moving as he found what he was looking for.

A slow smirk appeared on his face.

_Up to no good, are we Sora?_

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AN: The image of Leon with deep red wine is a favorite of mine, sorry if you don't feel the same way. :P


	22. Chapter 22

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Sora withheld a yawn as the cast waited for the next group of people to enter the main lobby.

She didn't mind meeting the fans, but she was really tired as of late. Sleep did not come fast enough for her at night and she spent her waking hours doing performances as well as going out of her way to not run into a certain someone.

She didn't have the energy to play his games right now.

As if knowing that she was thinking about him, Leon's head turned in her direction. The lights gleamed over his silver cross earrings as he moved his head. A black top hat was on his head and a long blood red cloak flowed behind him with his light colored hair. He was in his complete costume and looking like the dastardly devil he was.

Her eyes averted from him, not wanting him to think that he could come over.

"This is going to be a long night," said Ken from behind her.

She thankfully turned towards him. A professional camera was around his neck as he sported a nice blue collared shirt and black slacks.

"I didn't know you took pictures."

Ken rubbed the back of his neck in a shy manner. "It's a hobby of mine. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have an extra camera around."

She let out a small smile. Ken was grateful to see it.

As of late, she wasn't as perky or lively as she could be. Granted, she had been a bit subdued since Layla left, but now, it was even worse. He knew something must have happened, though the 'what' was not known to him.

"Sora," he started, hoping he had the nerve to finally ask, "I was wondering, if you're not too busy, well of course you are, but if you're able to and are free—"

"MR. LEON!"

Both Sora and Ken jumped a little as the fan cries loudly rang throughout the lobby. Fans streamed into the building as the next group was finally let in. With a sheepish shrug, Ken apologetically waved good-bye.

"Duty calls."

She laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow Ken."

Her friend walked over to May who was standing close to Leon. Accidently, her eyes landed on his form, which automatically made her look up to his head. Her eyes widened as his face was still turned towards her.

_Is it just me or does he look upset?_

His face had mastered the blank look, but she had learned that however strong of a poker face he had, his eyes were never completely empty. And now, she could see that they were narrowed just a slight fraction more than usual.

Her lips pursed into a line.

Nose scrunching, she looked away and walked over to the rest of the bats over to the other side of the lobby. Whatever issue he had with her, she wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

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AN: It's been raining this whole weekend which means me being stuck inside and chapters for you. :P


	23. Chapter 23

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As he posed for what felt like the millionth time, he decided that he greatly disliked Kalos.

_This little meet and greet is far too large to only be VIP members._

His eyes drifted over to the stage owner. Sensing Leon's displeasure, the man smirked and pushed his glasses up with an overbearing air. Leon's eyes glared at him. He probably made this an open event for _all _of the fans.

May lowly muttered to Leon, "Kalos is totally punishing us."

For once, he had to agree with her. The rest of the cast were allowed to move about and take a break whenever they wanted while he and May were stuck over by the backdrop of a stained glass window. They only had one break so far when Kalos came over and told them to 'take five.'

The line for the photo op seemed never ending.

"Hi Dracula."

Leon snapped out of his thoughts as he peered down at a boy playing with a familiar bat yo-yo.

"Patrick," came the greeting.

The boy's yo-yo stopped. "You remembered my name."

Leon withheld a roll of his eyes. "Your sister made sure of it." At that, the man looked beyond the boy and saw the sister still over by the propped up mirror by the beginning of the line as she fixed her hair. He was surprised she was here given the way he snubbed her the last time they met.

"When she's a fan of something, she's _obsessed,_" Patrick said as his yo-yo moved up and down. "I think you're cool, but I don't go around and make my bedroom filled with your face everywhere."

The sister came over with a t-shirt of the show on.

"Ok, so just get between Dracula and Mina please," the photographer said when the boy continued to stay out of the shot. His sister was already over there without needing to be told.

"I don't like her," the boy said with a glance to May. Ignoring the indignant sound from the miffed leading lady, Patrick continued with, "her character's dumb. I'll wait for a separate shot."

"Ah, well you're going to have to wait for a little bit. My Polaroid's only got one shot left, but if you don't want to wait while I reload, we can get someone with a memory card camera."

Patrick shrugged. "Digital's fine with me."

Problem solved, the photographer took the shot with his sister. The Polaroid picture came out of the camera and the man grabbed a corner of it and handed it to Leon and May to sign on the bottom with the white space. Patrick's sister gleeful took the autographed picture and started to shake it so the image would show.

"I'm going to show Sandy. Stay here after you get your shot, alright?"

The boy gave a nod and the teen ran off somewhere. With a huff, May walked out of the range of the shot as Patrick walked up.

"Hey Dracula?" When Leon looked down, Patrick continued, "since Mina's not going to be in the shot, could I get someone else in place of her?"

"It depends. Who would you like?"

"I want the bat girl with the red hair."

Leon blinked, but then gave a half grin. "That is doable." Turning to the photographer, Leon said, "Have someone find Sora Naegino and bring her here." With a devious though, he added, "And call Ken Robbins over. He has a digital camera."

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AN: Devious, devious man!


	24. Chapter 24

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When someone approached Ken in the middle of taking a photo of a small group of kids with the bat crew, Sora figured that they needed an extra hand to speed up the main photo op.

For once, she was glad to not be the leading lady.

_That line is ridiculously long!_

Ken took the shot, but instead of walking off with the person who approached him, he stepped up to her.

"They need us at the backdrop."

She inwardly groaned. _I keep counting my chickens too soon._

They walked over as Sora asked, "Did he say what for?"

"A kid asked for you," he said and was glad he was looking at her for he was able to see the genuine smile bloom on her face.

"Really?"

Ken chuckled. "Feels nice, huh?"

IN

He knew the duo arrived when Patrick waved and said, "Hi Bat Girl!"

"Hi Patrick!"

Still he did not turn to look at her, but listened as the boy and Sora talked briefly.

"You guys should make a Batman show and then you can really be Batgirl."

Sora's tinkling laughter filled his ears. "That would be something!"

"Yeah, but for now, could you be in a photo with me?"

"Sure!" she chirruped.

"Great!" he grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to Leon, "With Dracula on one side and then you on the other, this will be an awesome photo!"

It was then that Leon decided to look. He withheld a smirk at her aghast expression, but she quickly covered it up with a forced smile. Her head turned to look at May who was autographing something nearby.

"Uh, what about May?"

"What about her?" Leon voicelessly intoned.

The comment had her eyes drifting over to his face without realizing it. Her lips parted to speak, to ask for clarification, when Ken's voice interrupted.

"Ok, ah, you're all kind of far away from each other could you—?"

Ken practically choked on the rest of his question as Leon's arm swiftly went around Sora's back and pulled her to lean against his side. She let out a little squeak at the sudden contact and her face lightly flushed upon feeling how warm Leon was, especially when his hand stayed along her hip.

Despite the frustration and irritation Leon had been feeling these past few days at her avoidance, when he witnessed her reaction, the feelings eased a little. When vanilla came into his nostrils, he felt his body relaxing for the first time in days.

"Er, ah, n-not that close."

Flustered at the position she was in, her hand pushed against his side in order to create some distance. He allowed her a very small amount of space. She could still feel some of his body heat radiating from him.

"Let's make scary faces," Patrick said as his fingers pretended to make claws.

So incredibly glad for the statement, Sora agreed and used that excuse to lean away from Leon. Ken counted off the seconds and when he was half a second away from pushing the button, Leon suddenly fake lunged over Sora and Patrick with his hands extending his blood red cape as he hissed and bared his fangs.

The motion scared the crap out of Sora, who had turned to look at what the heck Leon was doing when she heard him hissing. She let out a loud "eep!" as her hands went up in a defensive posture while Patrick looked up and declared the move as "wicked!" in a good way.

The flash of the camera let them know that the shot was during that moment.

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AN: Who said Leon didn't know how to have fun? :P


	25. Chapter 25

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After the photo for Patrick, Kalos came over and gave Leon and May another five minute break.

Leon was certain it was mainly for the Polaroid cameraman than for them.

He inwardly sighed, but soon deemed the reason inconsequential when he now had some free time and a certain flightly bat was nearby for him to speak to. He allowed her to sign something for Patrick and then approached her when the boy left.

Upon seeing him, her hand lightly swatted his shoulder.

"You're sadistic," she said half scolding, half laughing. She hadn't known Leon could be so playful.

He arched a brow. "I was playing my part." With a sniff, he tilted his head in a haughty gesture. "It's not my fault you forgot my role."

She rolled her eyes at him. _Typical._

"I require some refreshments," he stated without directly looking at her. "Would you care to join me?"

She was about to tell him to go by himself since she hadn't forgotten their last interaction on Thursday. Whether she wanted to admit it out loud or not, she admitted to herself that she had been hurt by what he said, even if she didn't want to look at the _why_ portion of the issue.

Her eyes blinked up at him when grey eyes slanted over to her, waiting for her answer.

"I like vanilla," he lowly admitted to her, hoping that the statement would convince her to come even though it would probably incense her. It was a risk he was going to have to take.

Her brown eyes widened and then narrowed at him in irritation.

_Why that little sneak!_

She thought about the two full bottles she still had and how she had been flaunting that smell around him at every opportunity. _And he likes the smell…_ Her eyes slowly eased from the half glare.

He waited a little more before she gave him a nod.

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They grabbed some water bottles and then went out the back way.

The cool air felt so much better than the stuffiness of the lobby. Sora placed her dessert plate on top of the short wall and then lightly hopped up to sit on it. Leon came over and leaned against the wall next to her. She shivered a little when his hair brushed the exposed part of her leg. He had noticed the little sound she made and looked over.

She merely popped a brownie bite into her mouth.

The corner of his mouth twitched at her attempt to cover it up.

"So," she started after chewing her treat, "what have you been up to?"

He paused in drinking his water. Then, he gave a half shrug. "Nothing much." He capped his bottle when he recalled something. With a smirk that she did not see, he added, "I did go downtown for some food, though. Tell me, have you heard of Mario's Pizzeria?"

She half choked on her sugar cookie. When she coughed a little, he handed her her water bottle.

"Are you alright?" he smoothly asked.

"Fine, I'm fine," she said a little hoarse. "But why do you ask me about a restaurant?"

"I thought you would know about it," he paused and allowed some mild panic to enter her eyes, "having been living in Cape Mary for a while now." His head tilted in thought. "You were not born here, correct?"

The earlier anxiety ebbed. "No, I lived in Japan for most of my life." It was her turn to tilt her head. "How did you know?"

"There are performer profiles on the Kaleido Stage site."

She grinned in recollection. "That's right. Mia did say she had them up."

His statement worked through her brain and she realized, then, that he had looked her profile up. Her grin faded. _Why would he do that?_ The main page had the information about the recent leads and short synapsis of their careers. Looking up the profiles led a person to the personal life of the performers.

_He wanted to know beyond my career._

"Y-You bothered to look?"

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	26. Chapter 26

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He saw her astonishment and it made him straighten up.

He had been fishing for information when he brought up the pizzeria he had seen her entering; however, he ended up revealing information in the process.

It was too late to take it back.

"Yes."

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His answer made her eyes look at him in wonderment.

"Why?" she asked, a little breathless.

The sound made him move. Without breaking eye contact, his hand relocated the dessert plate from her lap to the top of the wall. Both hands lightly rested on each knee as he pulled them apart a little. Her legs parted and he now stood between them. His hands slid up from her knees to her lower thighs, eyes still on hers. He watched with relish as the moonlight made the whites of her eyes stand out more as they rounded at his touch.

"I wanted to know more," he rumbled out as his thumbs did slow circles along her skin.

Her breath came out in a sudden sound. The moon shone on his earrings and hair, bathing them in an unnatural glow. The light wind shifted his hair and for a moment, grey eyes gleamed as a moon beam passed through the curtain of his silver locks as it fluttered out of the way.

The wind passed through and his hair covered the moon on his face. Her hand came up and pushed the curtain aside to see the face beyond the cover.

"Ah, Mr. Leon," called out a runner from the glass door of the back patio.

Sora quickly retreated her hand from his hair when the young woman spoke. Leon cursed the timing, but turned his head towards the runner.

"Kalos wants you at the backdrop."

Leon gave a curt nod. "I will be there shortly."

The woman left, leaving the duo back into silence. Nervously, Sora tucked some hair behind her ear. Seeing the motion, he took a step back, immediately missing the feeling of her legs touching him. When his hands slowly trailed off of her thighs, she looked at him, and he looked at her.

He gave her a nod and then left.

She swallowed, realizing in that moment that his attention may be harder to deal with than his games.

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	27. Chapter 27

AN: For some reason, the document manager's acting up. So, sorry if the spacing looks different. For this chapter, thoughts will be 'thought' instead of italicized if the italics don't show up.

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Despite the late night, Leon had gotten to the stage early in the morning.

He built up speed and then smoothly bent into a tight ball as he spun in the air and then curled out of it at just the right moment to deftly land on one foot and skated along as if he hadn't just pulled that off.

"That was a pretty cool move."

He smirked as his back was to the speaker. "I wondered when you would speak."

Sitting in the audience seating closest to the stage, Sora sheepishly grinned at having been caught watching him practice for the past ten minutes. _I thought I came in quietly._

Apparently, she hadn't.

"I didn't want to interrupt." She stood up to the divider of the ice rink and the audience as he skated over to her. "To my defense, this isn't your allotted practice time."

"Hm," he placed his palms along the top of the divider and leaned in, the angle making him tower over her not as much as he would have had he been standing straight. "I would not have expected you to be nit-picky about the practice times."

"I'm usually not," she said a little distracted with his face being very close to hers. "But May doesn't like to share practice space; hence the schedule."

"I don't mind sharing the space."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're willing to share _my _practice time? You're too generous."

"I can be generous," he lowly stated, "when the occasion calls for it."

He gave her a slow smirk though it didn't look quite as intimidating as it usually did. No, it was anything but unapproachable, judging by the way she stepped closer to him. He, in turn, skated back a little while still looking at her. To his satisfaction, she already had her skates on so he didn't have to wait for her to do so.

She went to the opening in the divider and slowly skated towards him, to which he skated backwards but was only a few feet away. She sped up a little to catch up, as he expected her to do, however, when she reached him, she skated in a wide arch to get ahead of him. His head followed the motion and he felt amusement when she continued to speed up and away from him, but only a few feet ahead.

She languidly made waves in the ice. Her head turned back and a brown eye merrily laughed at him.

_You want to tease, do you?_

Well, he didn't need to be told twice.

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	28. Chapter 28

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They skated around each other, ahead, behind, next to, and together.

He currently had her in front of him, face to face with his hands on her hips as he skated forward and she skated backwards. She had a smile on face as her cheeks and the tip of her nose were pink from what he assumed to be a result of the cold. However, when he tested the thought out by making some fingers "accidently" graze her skin underneath her practice shirt, he saw that the light pink on her face became more prominent.

He withheld a grin, knowing that if she saw it, she'd break away from him.

"Why am I the one doing it backwards?"

"Practice," he said as one hand rested along her lower back and the other trailed up her right arm. He put some pressure on her back as he leaned over her, making her bend backwards. She nearly lost her balance, but his hands steadied her. "Lean your legs against mine and your skates along the insides of my feet."

She did as he instructed, though her cheeks burned when they came into more contact.

"Stay in this position," he murmured above her.

He did not wait for her confirmation. His head bent down to her collarbone and then languidly traveled down to her stomach, his forehead staying in contact with her. She stayed arched and had fluidly moved her arms in the air in what she hoped was a graceful manner. Her breath hitched when his hands, having been along her sides as his forehead rested on her stomach, now moved along her legs.

Swiftly, he pushed the back of her knees and made her bend them. She squeaked as she fell, but then his hands grasped hers before she hit the ice. He let her stay bent and then quickly pulled her up in front of him.

She was almost flushed against him, their hands and arms being the divider of full body contact. He looked at her face again, made contact with her eyes and then his hands—still connected with hers—pushed her away from his body and lightly pulled down. She bent her knees as the weight of his hands pushed her down and she was going under his legs.

He let go of her hands, smoothly turned around and watched as she righted herself.

Without missing a beat, he grabbed her hands again, did the motion of bringing her close, then swinging her down and under, letting go and then almost immediately grabbing her hands when she was up again.

As she was getting used to the motion, she realized that it reminded her of certain types of dances that had the follower swinging between the leader's legs, thrown up in the air and sometimes rotated around the waist or about the shoulders.

_Is he teaching me some ice dancing moves?_

She beamed at him when he grabbed her hands again. He saw the smile on her face and it made him change his mind about repeating the move. This time, when he pushed her away, he kept her at arm's length. She waited for the next move and was puzzled when it didn't come. Instead, she felt a light pull on her left hand as he turned around, and around, and around…

She rapidly blinked, but then laughed when she realized that they were spinning in circles.

His usually impassive face seemed less severe and his eyes were a lighter hue of grey.

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AN: Saw some ice dancing, especially from the Winter Olympics. It's just amazing what they can do on the ice!


	29. Chapter 29

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May huffed as she put on her ice skating practice suit.

She was still upset over Kalos making them do a meet and greet yesterday. Now they were going to have to do it more often on a regular basis. They already got a lot of the fans—she honestly wondered if it hadn't been all of them already!—so going to the lobby after _every _performance seemed like overkill.

_When I become a star like Leon, maybe then we can both go and complain to him._

If Kalos wanted both of them to stay, he was going to have to make exceptions for his top stars or else he wouldn't make any money.

_It's why Leon's here in the first place._

She finished putting her hair in its customary twin pigtails. She frowned in memory of the photo op with that little brat of a boy that didn't want her in it but rather _Sora_ of all people. The girl had been a little too close to Leon for comfort.

May sniffed haughtily. It wasn't like that was going to happen again, so there was no real need to worry. Leon hadn't been going off to the Kids' Stage for a few days now, meaning that he must have seen the ruse behind the redhead's _sunny _smile. He stayed to practice for longer periods of time nowadays.

"She can have the little kids as fans."

After all, she needed the teens' and adults' attentions; they held the money and had the voice for more concrete critiques of the shows than little kids. Growing up as the eldest of many younger siblings, her word as a teen held more weight with her parents than her five year old brother.

She grabbed her bag with her skates and a change of clothing. A purple sleeve with sparse sequins decorating the edge of the wrist hung from the opening of the bag. She saw it as she picked the bag up and slipped it back inside before zipping it closed.

The last dinner had been alright. Now, though, she was going to try to ask him out as a date rather than putting an excuse on the question. The nice top made her skin look an attractive milky shade and the color looked good on her overall.

_I'll just have to wait and see whether after the noon showing or the night showing would be better to ask him._

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When May entered the main building, she almost ran into someone.

"Op! Sorry!"

May's eyes widened as Sora's peppy voice filtered into her ears. Both girls blinked at the other and then continued on their own ways. Sora was in too good of a mood to get into some argument with the Chinese acrobat. May was too excited to bother barking at her about getting in people's way.

The prospect of a dinner date with Leon put May in a relatively good mood.

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AN: Run Sora, and don't look back! lol!


	30. Chapter 30

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As expected, Leon was already on the ice.

She put her bag down on a seat and quickly switched to her skates. Looking down in order to not trip with blades on her feet, she noticed that there were quite a lot of skating marks on the ice.

_How long has he been here?_

Her curious eyes looked around; her form stiffened upon seeing double parallel lines carved into the ice. She was more than a little familiar about ice skating and the lines that came from them.

No move could allow a _single _person to make double parallel lines.

That had been the first time she passed Sora during morning practices. Before today, they rarely ever saw each other. Since Day One, they've mixed as well as oil and water. Although Sora tried to befriend May from time to time, the invites were decreasing with the increasing venomous confrontations that May brought. Sora tried not to get in her way as of late, no doubt tired of the negativity.

Now with May's growing attraction to Leon and Sora's sudden presence around the reserved performer, she was even more inclined to hate the supposedly friendly girl.

_That witch…_Her jaw clenched. _Is that why she was leaving right now?_

As May followed the lines, her excited mood quickly deformed into something sour especially since the lines rarely strayed from each other. _Has he fallen under the spell of that fake smile again?_

The redhead had most everyone fooled, but not May.

There was just no way someone could be as friendly and smiley as her without it being some sort of a front for an underlining slyness and an overall lowlife. It just made May even more disgusted with her.

_He's got to be challenging me._ She deluded herself. _He wants to keep me on my toes._

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After practicing, Leon left the main building.

He caught the tail end of the last performance at the Kids' Stage and he was honestly a little aggravated by that. For some reason, May had wanted to go over the beginning number. It made him wary that she felt like she wasn't on the top of her game, and upon recalling her loss of focus during a show last week, it seemed like the extra practice was necessary.

Though, he really wished that she could do it with someone else.

"You were late," came Sora's teasing voice from behind him.

He turned around and waited for her to reach him. "May wanted to practice a scene."

"Oh." She shifted her bag's strap on her shoulder. "Are you two adding in a new move or something?"

"No."

She blinked at the one word response. When he offered nothing else, she started to walk back to the main building. He followed a half step behind, content to just take the time to walk over. The autumn season was coming so the air started to grow chilly even with the sun out. She pulled her light jacket out and shrugged it on as they walked.

"Thank you for earlier."

He tilted his head towards her and watched as she pulled her red hair out from her jacket. The color was not something he'd expect for a Japanese woman, having mainly seen black haired women of that ethnicity, but he could not see her looking the same with dark hair.

It just didn't seem right.

_Though, I'm hardly one to talk._

His extremely light hair was strange in general. But he didn't dislike it; being someone who liked to be distinguished from other people, the color did the work for him. Never has he been confused with some other performer solely based on looks. His nickname helped to cement the memory, he was sure.

_How could someone confuse that nickname with any other person._

There was no pride in that thought, but there was no shame in it either. It was as if he were stating a fact, a tidbit of trivia about himself that was both separate and a part of him.

He refocused on her hair, the topic of his nickname easily tired him.

_Red hair definitely suits her._

"It was no trouble," he finally replied to her gratitude.

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	31. Chapter 31

AN: Insidious just hit 1,000 views today. Wow! Thanks for the views everyone!

On that note, I do take anonymous reviews for those who may not have an account. Just saying. :P

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They had parted to their own dressing rooms, but soon met up in the hallway.

He saw her waiting along the wall a little ways off. Her fingers idly played with some of her red hair as she looked at some random point opposite him. As he neared her and she still did not notice him coming, he felt inspired to _make_ her notice.

In a few quick strides he was in front of her, forearm resting along the wall above her head and leaning his body towards her, especially when she gave a little start at his presence and straightened up.

"Are you waiting for me?"

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Sora shivered at the tone of voice he used.

It rumbled and jumped at the right times, leaving her trembling in the wake of it. It was as if a panther or lion had purred at her when she had once heard it roar. The memory of the danger the predator held and represented was in the mind, but the sudden threat now morphed and the energy in striking was now involved with another goal.

The power was still there and very much potent, but the prey wasn't necessarily frightened by it.

"That's conceited of you," she stated after a hard swallow, "but not surprising."

Amusement danced in his eyes. "Do you mean to tell me that you are standing here for some other reason?"

"Yes," her chin tilted up, "Is that so hard to believe?"

He inwardly groaned at her spitfire attitude. His hand came up and twirled a lock of hair along her temple. The motion of his finger going in circles lightly teased the side of her face as his finger made brief moments of contact with her skin. The fleeting, teasing touch made her swallow again as her mouth dried up.

"It amuses me that you have to _try_ at lying," his head dipped low to speak in her ear, "the habit is not a quality I like to see in a woman."

His light touch against her face and the proximity of his face made her a mess of feelings. "What does someone like you look for?" She turned her head, not caring that she wasn't even an inch away from his face, "It must be a long and detailed list," she teased, "I pity the fans that are interested in you."

He did not respond right away but in order to leave her in suspense. "It's not as long as you are assuming it to be," he stated with a chuckle. "She needs to be strong."

Sora grinned. "A female body builder."

"Some sort of intellgence."

"I think half of your fans are eliminated there," she cheekily added, "seeing as they follow you."

The grin did not stay for long; his forehead suddenly dropped onto hers, making her eyes widen. The hand that had been touching her hair drifted down, down, and lazily made figure eights along the exposed skin in opening of her costume. "Chemistry," he murmured, taking in the slow dilation of her pupils.

She had no quip for that.

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	32. Chapter 32

AN: Things are heating up in here...

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The once teasing atmosphere quickly heated up.

Leon' s fingers continued to touch her along the collarbone, throwing her mind in a tizzy. His forehead lifted off of hers in order to brush his lips along her jaw.

"Receptive," he murmured and then nipped her underjaw, the fangs scraping the area more and causing her to take in a sudden breath, "and reacts to my touch."

Her hands gripped the front of his costume and with the feathery tickling sensation vaguely registering in her mind, she idly thought_ His collar_ as to what the source of the texture in her hands was. As for the squirming in her lower stomach, she knew that his mouth was the cause of that.

"Reacts?" she repeated as he continued to brush his lips against her skin, "Interesting option for a guy with a poker face."

"Detached interest in things does not equate coldness in everything." He trailed up to her ear and lowly stated with some warmth, "Certain things bring out reactions in me," his arm went around her waist and pulled her away from the wall, "In such private settings, it would be difficult to keep cold, you can imagine."

When he felt her stiffen in his arms, he questioned his previous statement. "Or can you?"

"I'm not going to answer that!" she embarrassedly choked out.

He deeply chuckled against her neck. She felt her face heat up even more than it already was. Her mind went through another overload as he lifted his face from her neck and stared at her with lidded eyes.

"Would you like to be able to?"

He pushed on despite the wide eyed 'deer in the headlights' look she was giving him. "I could teach you about desire," he murmured as his hand buried in her locks and lightly pulled her head back a little, "you, with the vanilla scent…yes," he placed a few kisses along her arched neck.

Her hands tightly clenched his collar as she mewled from the kisses and teasing brushes of his fangs along her neck. "Whatever you want," she heard him say with his voice a little rough with longing and the barest hints of a plea, "ask it of me and I will teach it to you."

His hand loosened its grip on her hair, causing her head to come away from looking at the bland ceiling and into heated grey eyes.

Her lips parted and then closed; parted again only to have her needing to moisten her mouth. She hadn't expected such a conversation to occur between them.

Some perky music filled the corridor, snapping Sora into action. Leon released her and she was able to get her phone out of her duffle bag.

"Moshi—erm, Hello?" She wanted to slap her forehead for answering in Japanese. "Oh, hello Ken," some noise made her look over at Leon, but his face was turned away from her, "ah, no, I'm fine. I uh, just got caught up in something. I'll be there soon. Yeah, ok. Bye!"

Her phone closed with a quick snap.

"Erm, Leon, w-we need to get going. Everyone else is already there."

He nodded his head—she could see the motion of it even with his face turned away—before he turned himself towards her and started walking. The strong emotions in his eyes had cooled down.

She fell in step with him as they walked, slowly calming down from the rather heated moment they had in the corridor. Before they rounded the last corner to the backstage area, he turned to her and stopped in his walking. Startled, she stopped as well.

"I do not take back what I said," he quietly affirmed.

Her cheeks reddened. She had no ready answer to say to that.

For Leon, silence was not necessarily a bad sign.

_She is not outright refusing the offer._

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	33. Chapter 33

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It had not escaped May's notice that Leon and Sora came in about the same time. She had glowered at the girl, but her face had been looking the other way.

May snapped back into focus when Leon's hand suddenly grabbed hers.

He made her face him as his other hand hovered above her head in an arch. If it weren't for the curved fingers, it would have been a very sweet move. Instead, it was demanding but strangely alluring when the hand moved deathly close to her face.

Dracula let out an open mouthed smirk as Mina's gaze stayed on him.

He skated backwards, making her follow him across the ice.

The bats flitted about them, weaving with each other and spinning in place. Dracula grabbed her forearm and made her sweep against the ice in a circle. The audience was thrilled by the movements of both of them and their rowdy applause could be heard. May grinned at the sounds.

When Dracula righted her, he stood behind her as the bats gathered around and kneeled.

Smugly, May stayed in place.

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Sora had not noticed May's face.

How could she when Leon was staring right at her as he moved Mina's hair to the side, revealing her pale neck even under the reddish overhead lights.

Before, she could never really understand the hype over vampires, especially as dark lovers. They sucked your blood out of you and then you were one of the damned.

_That's real romantic _, she mentally shuddered.

Now though, as she looked at Leon's face…

He smiled a dangerous promise and the flash of fangs made Sora recall the feeling of those fangs grazing her neck, she wasn't quite so against the idea. The sensation made her want to know what it would be like to feel not those plastic fangs, but his actual teeth as he placed love bites along her throat.

She shuddered again, and Leon knew why.

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	34. Chapter 34

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The night showing ended and their autograph signing in the lobby only lasted for fifteen minutes or so.

May had practically rushed over to her dressing room and quickly changed into her outfit. She left her hair in the twin braids for lack of time, slipped her heeled sandals on and then fast walked over to Leon's dressing room as fast as her black short skirt would allow without it riding up too indecently.

Once in front of his door, she smoothed the skirt over her thighs, straightened her rich purple long sleeves and then knocked.

She waited a few seconds.

When nothing happened, she knocked again. "Uh, Leon? You in there?"

Her ear pressed against the door, but she couldn't hear any sounds from inside. Tentatively, she turned the doorknob and opened it a crack.

_The lights are off._

She felt along the wall and flipped the lights on. Upon spotting his costume neatly hung on the rack over by the mirror, she frowned and turned off the light.

"He left already."

The door shut with more force than necessary.

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Sora wasn't quite sure how he found her, but he did.

She swallowed hard, yet again, as he pressed her against the wall of the building outside. His face was buried in her hair and the side of her neck, simply breathing. The night was cool, but his body was not and provided her with more than enough heat.

"How long are you going to just do that?"

Almost immediately after she finished saying that, she threw her head back against the wall as his hands went under her shirt and his mouth opened and firmly sucked at her neck. She whimpered at the duo attack on her body; his thumbs ran up and down her stomach and his teeth, oh how he bit and sucked and kissed her skin.

He was a man starved and she was the perfect meal.

Her hands roughly fisted and tugged at his hair as he continued without pause. He half groaned at the treatment, the slight stinging of his scalp was easily overlooked in favor of the lively reaction she had to him. His hands grew tired of the small motion and went along her lower back, simultaneously bringing her flush against him and feeling the curve of her body.

She let out a very shaky version of his name.

He could not deny how glorious a sound it was.

His mind recalled that it was only to be short and with immense show of restraint and reluctance, he abruptly released her, nearly causing her to fall down. Her hand quickly found the wall behind her to steady her. She panted a little as her nerves still thrummed from his proximity and love bites.

She had been right, his real teeth were much better than the fake fangs.

"That," he started in a rough voice, "was your first lesson."

She moistened her mouth. "But I didn't ask for one."

"You did," he lazily smirked, "when you asked me how long I was going to _only_ breathe against you."

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AN: Ah, Sora didn't read the fine print. :P


	35. Chapter 35

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Seduction revolved around timing and action.

He was usually not one for waiting long once someone had his attention. That said, it didn't happen quite as often as it would sound like for he was picky in whom he went after. Most cases, trysts occurred because _he_ was approached and didn't deem them as too annoying.

It had been a long while since he was the chaser.

…And it was proving to be very _satisfactory._

He slowly closed the door to the stage in case she was already here. He wanted to meet her again during her practice. Sure enough, he heard some noise near the ice and spotted her red hair before she ducked down to do something.

She was in the process of tying her skating up when he came over to the seat she was on. She was humming a little tune as she worked on her laces. Her hair was all to one side.

Last night, he had a dream of her lively red hair splayed against his midnight covers. The image was so tempting; he was rather surprised that it has not occurred yet.

This morning, though, he realized that he wanted this to be a slow, but meaningful seduction. He wanted her to burn with so much desire that she'd willingly come to him instead of him overwhelming her with his desire. It was a novelty in that he had not wanted this before, had not thought or considered prolonging the inevitable outcome.

Quietly, he put his hands along the armrests of her seat and leaned down to place a kiss along the exposed part of her neck.

She squeaked a little. "L-Leon!"

"Who else?" he murmured as his lips slowly brushed along her pulse.

She stayed half bent as he continued the kisses. The feeling he was drawing out of her made her stomach squirm delightfully, but she was a little surprised by the change.

Last night, he was almost all teeth.

This morning, it was softer.

She hadn't mind the teeth—her cheeks tinted at the thought—but the switch to something gentler made something stir in her heart. She turned her head a little as he continued and with the new angle, she leaned in and kissed a spot along his jaw.

The fleeting touch made him pause. His head straightened in order to look at her face to face.

"Good morning," she said with a little smile.

He liked the soft sound and the glow about her face. He leaned in and kissed the very corner of her mouth. "Morning," he rumbled with his lips still touching the smallest amount of her mouth. The little he felt of her lips was almost enough to make him renegade on the slow seduction idea.

However, her giggle brought him back.

She pulled away from him and jumped up from her seat.

"I would like a lesson."

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	36. Chapter 36

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They were on the ice, duo skating again.

He was in a lunge position with one leg bent at a 90 degree angle and the other outstretched and behind him. She was facing him with one leg over his bent knee while the other diagonally ran along the ice as the previous speed they built up allowed them to drift along the ice.

His hands were on her waist as her arms gracefully arched in the air.

Then, he adjusted one arm along her back while the other went to her shoulder. With a light pressure to her shoulder and a light push along her lower back, she bent backwards.

"Slow," he lowly stated as his eyes were fixated on her form, "slow."

The instruction made her shiver, but she followed it and slowed down her upper body's descent. The hand along her shoulder disappeared to her leg draped over his bent leg. The arm along her back steadied her as he adjusted her leg to half wrap around his torso without her skate accidently cutting him.

Her head nearly touched the ice. She ventured a hand out and her fingers lightly skimmed along the cold, damp-ish surface.

When they began to slow down, Leon righted her and her arms draped along his shoulders. Their faces were close; foreheads and noses touched. He angled his head a little and their lips whispered against each other. The slight touch shot electricity down her body and she shakily exhaled, her warm breath lightly heating his lower face.

His hand moved her leg back to its original position; his touch almost burning her skin as it went along her leg for longer than necessary. She carefully moved her leg off of his bent one as he straightened. Her hands slowly went down his arms to his hands; the teasing touch had been unexpected from her, but not unwanted.

When she looked back to his face, his eyes were lidded.

When he looked into her brown orbs, he noticed that they were half closed.

He skated forward while she skated backwards. The fire continued to flicker in her eyes as they did simple moves. He flipped her around and brought her back to his chest. Still, they kept eye contact as her head turned and looked up at him.

_She's burning faster than anticipated._

He grabbed her hands and turned her to face him. Her hands were released and she artfully placed one hand on his chest and then the other; he slipped his hands beneath hers so that they were palm to palm.

Her arms bent and she came closer to him.

He allowed the approach as he followed her action, bending his arms to let her come. His hands slowly turned hers to their sides in half circles as she leaned up and lightly brushed his lips.

Their fingers threaded as he leaned down into the motion.

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	37. Chapter 37

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The light, teasing brushes of lips transformed faster than either were expecting.

They had underestimated the fire inside and the intensity of the flames burning in the other. And so, with some surprise, they had skated over to the borders of the rink rather quickly.

Sora hadn't realized they had been moving until her lower half bumped into the divider.

Leon hadn't realized how intoxicating her mouth would be.

In one swift motion, he lifted her up and sat her on the top of the divider. Her legs had parted without his persuasion. He settled against her and groaned when her arms wrapped around his neck. The firm connection of lips morphed again to something even more delectable.

When he slanted his mouth over hers, she mewled and flushed from the heated persistence his tongue and lips had along the seam of her mouth. Being kissed this way was new to her, though he was not her first kiss.

Not many knew, but Ken had kissed her before.

It felt like ages ago, but it really was only a few months ago. He had been the one to find her in the storage basement crying her eyes out when she learned that Layla could not perform anymore. She had been so devastated, especially after she experienced the closest thing to flying for the first and ultimately the last time.

When he found her, she had been a mess, spouting out things left and right about failing the stage, failing Layla and other stuff completely unrelated.

She had felt alone, and utterly abandoned.

Some of that emotion must have shown on her face or in her words for she had found the shy boy's face in front of hers before he soundly kissed her. It had been brief and as quickly as he had done it, he pulled away, telling her that they'd get through it.

The next day, they acted as if nothing had occurred between them. She had initially been confused by the way they were acting, but she was too much of a coward to bring it up, knowing that she'd end up hurting him.

She didn't feel that way about him.

There was no way to soften the blow those words would create.

So, she played along and pretended it didn't happen. If it hadn't happen, they didn't have to talk about it. If they didn't talk about it, she didn't have to tell him something he didn't want to hear.

Only Mia knew what had happened. She had been helping Ken look for her and stumbled upon them kissing. At first, Mia teased Sora about it, saying how cute they would be as a couple and what their children would look like, but after a particularly frustrating day, Sora had curtly told her friend to drop it.

She immediately apologized after realizing what she had just told her friend.

But Mia had gotten the message.

So aside from that short kiss, she really didn't have much experience in kissing. She inwardly fretted a little if Leon would pull away, not wanting to bother with her inexperienced brushes of lips. When she felt him pulling away, her mouth down turned as her fear became a reality.

She was pleasantly surprised when his lips returned.

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AN: Weren't expecting that little info in the middle were you?


	38. Chapter 38

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He had dialed down the intensity for now.

The kiss was slow, but the pressure still made her nerves sing. She followed his lead in a simple movement of lips. He had noticed the extreme red that had colored her face when he was goading her to part her lips. It was obvious to him that that was the first time she encountered that.

_She asked for a lesson,_ he heatedly thought as his hand went to cup her face.

It gave him a sense of pride and male satisfaction that he would be the one to teach her this sort of kissing. When she was comfortable with the simple kissing, he pressed her mouth against his as his fingers trailed down her neck and then up with the barest of touches.

He felt her shiver. Her eyes were almost closed as they kissed; her relaxed form let him know that he could try the motion again. His head angled a little as the tip of his tongue came along her bottom lip.

She mewled, the wet appendage sweeping over her lips again in a slow, sluggish motion. His hand stayed along her jaw as he continued the firm, languid movement and enjoying the way she shivered and whimpered after each stroke.

_She is incredibly receptive_.

His thumb brushed along her jaw as he persuaded her to part her lips for him, to let him teach her this sensual pleasure of contact.

Her hands clenched his shirt as she loosened her lips and he came in with a flurry of sensation, heat, and wicked passion. The slow motions quickly fell to the wayside as his mouth seared her, tangling his fingers in her hair with desire so strong that it made her forget where they were and who they both were.

All she knew was that the sliding of his tongue against hers was magnificently sensual in ways she had never imagined. It made her needy as she brushed back—her inexperience couldn't stop her—and for that she was rewarded with a heavy groan from him. The sound incensed her, drove her into a longing so sharp she pressed her body against him, wrapped her legs around him and threw her weight into him, causing him to lose his balance on the ice.

His mouth ripped away from hers as he started to fall backwards, but his quick reflexes allowed him find his center of gravity as he slid backwards from the force of her sudden weight.

Instinctively, she had clung onto him as he struggled to find his balance again. When he had stopped wobbling forward and backwards, she lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Erm, sorry about that."

He gave her a slow blink.

She was wondering if she needed to say something else when a rumbling sound vibrated against her. _Is he…laughing?_ She did not have to wait for long when his head tilted back a little and he let out a short bark of laughter. The sound was a little rough like it was rusty from rare usage; however, coming from him she found that it was unlike anything she had ever heard.

She laughed as she smiled at him.

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Amongst their moment of shared amusement, the door to the stage closed with a soft click.

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	39. Chapter 39

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When May came into the main building, she didn't run into Sora.

That alone made the acrobat feel better, especially after last night when Leon had hightailed it out of the stage faster than she could change and ask him out.

_Was he that annoyed with the autographing?_

She hadn't really seen annoyance on his face during it, but the man did have a very strong blank mask. She couldn't really tell what he was thinking about sometimes.

_More like most of the time._

She opened the door to the stage and found Leon skating around. She called out to him and he gave a half nod to her. Her brows furrowed.

_Is it just me or does he look like he's…distracted?_

She shrugged and then plopped down in order to lace up her skates. "So Leon, you left pretty fast yesterday. Did you have some dire thing to do or something?"

The question stayed unanswered.

Her lips pursed as she deftly tied off her last skate. With an inward sigh, she got up and slipped through the opening in the divider to get on the ice. She skated about, noticing that the ice wasn't as smooth as it should be.

_Did he come here early again?_

With growing anger, she took in all of the lines on the ice.

_She was here again!_

Her body shook with the force of her jealousy. Piercing blue eyes drilled a hole into Leon's moving form, but the stoic man didn't turn around to face her.

Weren't they partners? Hadn't he chosen _her_ instead of the half-baked redhead?

_What about all those moments on the ice during our performances? Those couldn't have only been an act!_

Her mind was in a whirlwind of confusion, hurt, and a smidgen of wrath. The last emotion began to grow and bring out other emotions, ultimately filling her mind with revenge.

_It's her fault_, she reasoned within this mess of her mind.

She'd have to deal with Sora first before getting to Leon.

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Meanwhile, long twin pigtails swooshed as the figure fast walked across the Kaleido property.

_Did I see that right?_

Surely her perky, sweet friend hadn't just _jumped_ onto Leon as they _heatedly _made out on the ice during _her_ practice time and then they had proceeded to _laugh _together…

A strange noise began to escape her, but she quickly covered her hand over her mouth.

_This is waaay too much to keep in!_

She knew, judging by the way Sora had told her to keep quiet about the kiss with Ken, that her friend wouldn't appreciate it if she let the cat out of the bag and blabbed to anyone and everyone about the make out session she just saw her participating in with _Leon_ the tall, enigmatic, stoic, _sexy _leading male of the Kaleido Stage…

_How can I be expected to keep this in?!_

She quickly changed directions and headed over to the pool area. The cute barkings of Jonathan let her know that she was close and the cute laughter of a young girl let her know that Marion was there as well.

"Come on Jonathan! Jump through!"

Marion cheered as her seal friend managed to pass through the hoop.

"Very good!" She tossed him a treat which he caught.

The scuffing of shoes made the young girl turn around. She tilted her head as she took in how hard Mia was biting her lips closed. Sagely, the girl sat back on her heels as she recognized the look on the orange head's face.

"So what piece of gossip did you run into this time?"

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AN: And now we know who it was!


	40. Chapter 40

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Before she recklessly blurted out, "Sora and Leon have got the hots for each other," she remembered _who_ she was talking to and she was certain that the young girl's father wouldn't appreciate it if she were to say things like that.

"I think Sora likes Leon."

Almost immediately, there were stars in the young girl's eyes.

"Really?!"

Mia nodded enthusiastically. Secretly, she leaned in and cupped a hand over her mouth.

"I just saw them kissing."

Marion squealed, which then prompted Mia's own squealing. The older teen couldn't keep it in anymore.

"Oh!" Marion exclaimed, "but didn't she and Ken—"

Mia shushed the girl. "Not so loud!"

Marion cutely covered her mouth and ducked her head sheepishly. "Sorry." Mia had explained to her that they were secret agents, sharing and discussing the secrets within the Kaleido Stage. These things could _only_ be discussed between the two of them or else their sharing would cease.

Marion liked drama as much as Mia, so she'd be pretty bummed out if she was left out of the loop.

"It's ok. Just don't forget again, alright?"

The girl nodded her head. "So," she started in a significantly lower voice, "what's going to happen when Ken finds out?"

Mia shrugged.

The orange headed script writer had been the one to prompt Ken to just man up and ask Sora out, but the boy was so shy and awkward with these kinds of things. _It's a wonder how he managed to kiss her in the first place_. It must have been a fleeting spark of courage, she supposed.

_It's just too bad he can't control it at will._

He'd probably dating Sora for a few months now if he could.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

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The late morning performance was about to start in ten minutes.

Ken checked his watch as he walked over to the backstage. _Hopefully Sora doesn't cut it close again._ Granted, she came before the show started, but it wasn't a good habit to be coming in just in the nick of time. The Frenchman was cutting it close too, but Ken chalked it up to the sort of prima donna attitude.

Up ahead of him, he heard a loud thud and then a moan of some sort.

_Did someone trip and fall?_

That wouldn't bode well for the show.

"Hey, is someone hurt over there?" Ken called out as he turned the corner into the hallway towards the back stage.

His eyes widened when he saw Sora awkwardly leaning against the wall as Leon stood by the other wall opposite her, looking his usual impassive self.

_Did he push Sora?_

Ken frowned. "Are you alright?"

Sora rapidly blinked as Ken directed the question to her. "Well. Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Ken didn't see it since Leon turned his head to the side, but the Frenchman smirked at the naiveté of the shy male and the blank look of confusion on Sora's face at Ken's show of concern.

"You're against the wall."

She blinked again and then her eyes widened in realization.

"O-oh yeah! Haha! I um, tripped while I was running over to the backstage."

Ken's eyebrows stayed furrowed. Then, his blue eyes suspiciously looked at the leading male. Said man's head had turned back when he regained control of his blank mask. Now, he saw the accusation in the carrot top's eyes and he raised a brow at the look.

"What is the matter?" Leon questioned with a flat tone.

Ken crossed his arms. "Do you know what happened?"

_Yes. _Leon thought. He had found her in the hallway, flirted with her and herded her against the wall, where they proceeded to share an open mouthed kiss that had been so _sultry_, especially for one who had barely learned how to kiss that way. Then, the carrot top had called out and they broke away from each other.

But Leon had a feeling that he wouldn't want to know that judging by the lie Sora had given him.

"She said she tripped," he voicelessly intoned with a half shrug.

When it looked like Ken was about to further question Leon, Sora stepped up.

"Ah, Ken. We should be going." She tugged at his arm, leaving him no choice in the matter. Ken huffed and then allowed her to pull him away.

Discretely, Sora looked over her shoulder.

Leon's eyes were hypnotic fire. She attempted to suppress the shiver the look caused.

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	41. Chapter 41

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Sora was changing into her flower costume as she embarrassingly thought about what happened before the morning show.

_How embarrassing!_

The only thing that would have made the situation worse was if Ken had actually _seen_ them kissing. She quickly zipped up her costume and hastily clipped the orange ball into her hair. She stole a look at the clock on the wall.

_Plenty of time to spare!_

She smiled to herself and opened her door.

"Leon?"

The tall man had a hand up as if to knock, but then smoothly put the hand back by his side.

"We were interrupted."

She blinked. He allowed her a few seconds to let the words sink in before he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a simple kiss.

Her hands rose to fist his shirt as she kissed him back with more force. He half smirked against her lips at her fire. With a tug to the front of his shirt, he obeyed her wordless command and walked forward.

He closed her dressing room door behind him.

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He had kept the kiss simple in order to give her the choice whether or not to change it.

He was curious what she would do.

Sure enough, he found himself backed against the door and quickly catching her as she hopped up and wrapped her legs around his torso. She deliciously deepened the kiss with a passion that made him hungry for her taste.

_So that's how you want it._

He slanted his mouth and took the lead. She pressed him back against the door when he made to switch their positions. He looked at her with slightly wide eyes.

Her own eyes were glowing with rekindled desire.

"Minx," he said with a smirk.

She smiled at him, the corner of her mouth twisted up in confidence.

"Hunter," she murmured.

The lower octave had him pulling her head down with relish. Their mouths crashed in a sensual battle of teeth and tongue, neither one wanting to relent or allow the other to stop.

His hands were all over her back and legs, bringing out a low moan.

Her hands scratched his scalp and neck as she pulled and tugged at him to continue. A throaty sound of approval was wrenched from him. In his planning for a 'slow' seduction he had overlooked a vital part.

_Her desire, _he dazedly thought as her tongue ran along his own, _may prove to be stronger than my will._

He could find no issue with that.

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	42. Chapter 42

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After he let her push him against the door for a while, Sora allowed him to move away from it the next time he took a step towards the center of the room.

Now, she was sitting on the low table in front of the mirror as Leon took control of the kiss with the seductive skills of a master. Her toes curled as his hand kept her mouth firmly connected to his. She moaned, the noise muffled by his searing kiss.

He pulled away from her mouth and latched onto her shoulder.

Her head fell against the mirror, not caring if the force would break it.

"Are you free Wednesday?" he murmured as he peppered her skin with wet kisses.

"De-" the word was cut off from her throat as he sucked the sensitive area along her underjaw. She mindlessly mewed until he relented and found another spot to attack.

"Depends," she breathed out. She felt winded as if from a light jog.

"I want to take you to dinner," he said as he kissed his way up to her face, "seven o'clock," he nipped her cheek, "sharp," which was punctuated with a long suck of her bottom lip.

She groaned, a sound filled with pleasure and disappointment.

"I can't do that time," her hand lay on the side of his face, "could it be earlier?"

"Six then."

"Five?" she asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. Her shift was at seven, but she wanted enough time to actually enjoy the dinner with him.

His eyes darted about her face before he gave a nod.

She let out a relieved sigh and leaned against him. "Thank you," she said and then laid a short but soft kiss on his cheek.

He turned his head and caught her lips. They did a few short kisses and then he released her, knowing that she needed to grab something to eat before going over to the Kids' Stage.

"I'll pick you up."

"Ok. Let me give you my number," her hands found a pen on the table, but she couldn't find a piece of paper. "Do you have something to write on?"

"No."

She bit her bottom lip at the dilemma but then smiled when she thought of something. With a grin, she grabbed his hand and wrote her number on his palm.

He rose a brow. "How juvenile."

"Juvenile would be you washing your hands before you could put it in your phone," she quipped. She pecked his lips and then hopped off of the table. "Don't give it out to anyone else."

"Certainly not," his eyes lidded, "only a fool would do such a thing."

With a grin her bottom lip was under her teeth again, though not out of nervousness.

"Then I hope you're not a fool."

She did a playful pivot and was out the door. He watched it all and even made his way to the door to see her walk down the hallway.

He wasn't certain if she knew he was watching, but he noticed that her hips sort of swayed as she stepped. It was a little flirtatious and playful, both characteristics that he was finding out to be a part of her that drew him in fast and with a strong force.

_Wednesday will prove to be promising._

He couldn't remember the last time he felt impatient for a date to occur.

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	43. Chapter 43

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Ken watched from the sidelines as Sora performed on the Kids' Stage.

Her smile was free and wide, she practically glowed with untamed happiness. The lingering shadows of whatever had upset her last week and during the photo op could not be seen.

_I wonder what managed to put that look on her face..._

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Sora jumped on the trampoline with glee.

She laughed out loud, taking in the the sun shining through the clouds. It was a little chilly, but performing kept her warm and happy.

Marion looked over at Sora when she heard her laugh.

The young girl recalled Mia's discussion with her and a goofy grin appeared on her face. _Maybe she's thinking about Leon._ Her little pigtails bounced as she jumped off of the trampoline to land on the bigger one in the center with Sora.

They grabbed each other's hands and did a simple flip.

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From his spot in the back, even he could see how brightly she shined.

Something flickered in his eyes that was not desire or want. It was something softer, and he could not shake the feeling, especially at the end when she looked over at him and her smile to him seemed so personal; as if she was sharing a secret with him that only he would understand.

He realized then, that the feeling was more potent than anything he had ever felt.

His mouth, without thinking about it or considering the ramifications, cracked the smallest of smiles back to her.

He knew she saw it when the smile grew even bigger, if that was possible.

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May was in a sour mood as she waited in line at the cafeteria.

She scooped up some random mush and then proceeded down the line to the sandwiches. With disinterest, she read the labels of the different types available.

"Hey May," called a voice behind her.

The Chinese acrobat turned around and saw two girls looking at her.

"What do you what?" she said.

"Were you downtown last week?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

The two girls squealed and then eagerly turned back to May.

"We _thought _we saw you! You were on a date with Mr. Leon!"

May was about to tell them to buzz off when an idea popped into her head. With a haughty tilt of her head and hip she said loudly, "Yeah I was. We're actually hoping to set another one up soon."

"You're so cool May!"

They did not see it, but her smile was full of malicious intent.

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	44. Chapter 44

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The night show was done for the day.

Leon was grateful for it while Sora couldn't quite form proper thoughts at the moment.

"How do you keep finding me?" she managed to breathlessly ask.

She was once again pinned against the wall outside as Leon deftly unbuttoned a generous amount of the top portion of her collared shirt. He laid open mouthed kisses along the way as her skin was revealed.

"You go out the same way you come in."

Her hands massaged his scalp. "Maybe I'll mix it up then."

"You can try," he flashed her a dangerous grin, "but I will still find you."

Goosebumps formed along her arms. Her eyes lidded as she let the shiver travel down her spine. He saw her tremble a little and was amused to find that she didn't even bother trying to hide it this time.

His head went back to her skin. Her head tilted back a little to allow him easier access.

"Is this another lesson?" she cheekily asked as his mouth roamed her exposed skin.

He paused for a moment. "Do you want it to be?"

His warm breath brought another shiver out of her. The butterflies in her stomach were amok and she knew that she wanted the feeling to grow. She had not been aware that she had these feelings before, these little tingles that grazed her insides until it made her want even more.

She hadn't known about such desire until he came along.

"Yes."

"Touch shall be the lesson," he murmured after letting her answer pleasantly echo in his head. "The sensitivity," he breathed against her ear, "of skin."

His lips barely grazed the edge of her ear, but it still wracked a violent shudder from her. He continued down her jaw and neck, the feathery touch causing so much pleasurable destruction along her nerves.

She loudly mewed as his tongue swept along her collarbone and downwards.

He allowed the cold air to chill the path he just made, bringing out a whimper from her. His warm mouth returned and licked a similar pathway on the opposite side of her body.

She breathed heavily, his silver hair tightly clutched between her fingers.

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They had moved into the shadow of the building as their 'lesson' continued.

Leon groaned as her mouth stayed latched onto his neck.

His hands continued to roam under her shirt as she put his lessons to use. She moved along the opening of his high collar, nipping and kissing until she ran into the thin chain of his necklace.

From the first time she met him she thought how strange it was for him to be wearing a medallion.

_I had thought the same with the earrings_.

Now though, it was just something that was a part of his look. Dark clothes and light accessories gave him a sort of a classy rebel look, if that made any sense. The black slacks and shoes were a classic combo for male attire, however, the double piercings screamed of individualism rather than the conformity of certain aspects of his clothing.

The necklace and earrings had the potential to be tasteless, but he managed to pull it off. 

_It's that 'daring' feeling I got from earlier._

He wasn't shy about taking risks. Though, in order to be a top notch performer, that level of confidence was needed, she was sure.

She paused along his pulse as the thought stayed in her mind.

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AN: Thanks for the reviews! I enjoy reading what you thought of the chapters! :3


	45. Chapter 45

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Leon's hands slowed as he felt her stop. _Are we going too fast for her?_

The moonlight and shadow played along her face. The light frown and the uncertainty in her eyes looked so out of place, he had stilled his hands completely.

"In the next production," she quietly started, "will I have the chance to try out for the leading lady?"

He had stiffened for a mere half second as the word "chance" slipped out of her mouth.

_It's ironic she would use that word._ He has used it often when performers asked to become his partner. But he knew that she was not aware of his title. He had been introduced as "The Pegasus of the Stage."

It was rare for a performer to have _two_ well-known nicknames.

_Of all the words to choose from, you used that one…_

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With a despondent sigh, her head dropped onto his shoulder. _I shouldn't have asked._

"Yes," came his delayed response.

Her head came up and her eyes looked bright again. "Really?"

He gave her a small nod. Her mood was joyful again, as was apparent by the quick kisses she placed on his lips. He kissed back and then leaned his forehead against hers with an inward sigh.

_She will have the chance, even if she hadn't asked._

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From the office of the business side of the Kaleido property, Kalos was on the phone.

He tapped the armrest of his chair as he listened.

"Yes, there will be a break coming up," he waited as the dates and times were said. He swiveled around and took up a pen to jot down the information. "I'll let her know; I have no doubt that she will jump at the opportunity."

His hand with the pen halted in the middle of writing the memo.

Kalos sighed. "I'm not certain about that but we can discuss it later. I have a meeting in a few minutes."

Some more words were said on the other end of the line and then Kalos gave a curt "take care" and hung up the phone. He stood up and walked over to the window. The first topic discussed he was sure would be no problem, but as for the second…

He slipped his glasses off and pulled out a small square cloth out of his pocket.

_It might cause more trouble than help._

He knew Layla only wanted to help with the reputation of her ex-partner, but he was not so certain that Sora had a thick enough skin for the festival. He cleaned his lens and then put them back on, as well as slipped the cloth back into his pocket.

_A decision will have to be made soon._

Training will be required and he had to figure out what shows to put on while the partners worked for the festival. Much thought and planning will have to go into this should he send representatives to France.

_It's already causing trouble._ He pinched the bridge of his nose.

About five minutes later, Sarah walked into the office. Her usual smile was replaced with a look of displeasure. She stood on the other side of his desk with her arms crossed.

"You wanted to see me?"

Kalos gave her a flat look. "Would you care to explain why my car has cat faces painted all over it?"

"I don't know," she nonchalantly shrugged, "Why don't you ask Leon? You seem to value _his_ opinion more than mine."

He let out a long breath. "I told you I can't help it if Leon doesn't choose Sora."

"Well, we can't make Leon do something he doesn't want to do," she huffed, "heaven forbid he should have to do such things like signing autographs and doing photo ops."

Sarah put a hand against her cheek. "Oh silly me, he _has_ _been_ doing those things!"

He gave Sarah a very flat and tired look. _This will not end well._

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AN: I love portraying Sarah this way.


	46. Chapter 46

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Tuesday morning came with Sora lightly skipping over to the stage.

She spotted the side stage door but paused in her steps as she heard someone behind her. "Well this is a first." She grinned and then turned around to greet Leon.

Her eyes widened when she saw orange hair instead of silver.

"Ken?" She rapidly blinked. "What brings you here?"

Thrown off by her curious comment, the teen refocused himself. "I knew that you practice around this time, so I came to get you. Kalos would like to speak to you."

"Right now?"

"Well yes. You have _Dracula _and the Kids' Stage to juggle along with needing to take breaks in between and eat."

Before she could think of an excuse to go later, Ken lifted his hand to her lower back. She stiffened and stepped away from it. He blinked at her withdrawal, but then used his other arm to gesture for her to go first.

Reluctantly, she complied.

_I hope the meeting doesn't take long._

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A figure from far off watched with narrowed eyes as the two walked away from the stage door.

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In the cafeteria, the young performers were abuzz with chatter.

"Did you hear what Michelle and Lauren said? It was…"

"No! Really?! I wish I had the nerve to have done that."

Mia tilted her head at the gossip around._ They appear to be about the same thing, what exactly is it?_ As a Secret Agent of the Stage, it was imperative that she found out what the latest hullabaloo entailed. _I'm going to have to confer with my partner._

She sat down at a table with her tray of food, keeping her ears open while she waited for Anna to join her.

IN

"Layla needs a temporary partner," Kalos stated, wasting no time in telling Sora what the meeting was about.

"We have a break coming up next week; however, seeing as you're not the lead," he saw the young performer flinch at that, but continued in the same impassive tone of voice, "you can leave early so that you can have more time to practice for the role."

The earlier sting about not being the leading lady evaporated as the opportunity sank into her mind.

"Be Layla's partner again?" She felt nostalgic, but happy about the idea.

"You can leave as early as tomorrow night."

Sora blinked at that. _That's Wednesday. _The dinner with Leon and her shift were both that day. Her hands fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Ah Boss, do I have to leave so soon?"

She couldn't see it because the light was reflecting off of his shades, but slight surprise flashed across his eyes. He thought the girl would be ecstatic to leave as soon as possible…

"No." He pushed his glasses up. "Just let me know what day you choose to go."

IN

Mia and Anna left the cafeteria together, but then the young scriptwriter told Anna she had somewhere to go.

"Alright, see ya later!"

Mia waved at her friend and watched as she walked off a good distance. Then, Mia turned around and ran over to the pool area.

_Did that gossip mean what I thought it meant?_

It sounded like Leon and May were a couple, but Mia knew for _sure _that she saw Sora and him kissing. She didn't think it meant nothing, but maybe she had been wrong…

"Marion!" she frantically called out as the young girl splashed her feet in the water. "We have an emergency!"

Marion blinked her big hazel eyes at the state Mia was in. As young as she was, she could tell that there was something really important going on and it wasn't a matter of simple gossip.

Not that gossip is ever simple.

"We can talk in my dad's office."

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AN: Oh the drama!

Just a somewhat quick note about the story that I did not think needed explaining or to be addressed, but I guess it does: there are certain things that I need to touch on that are canon in the series in order to get to where I want it to go. The reason I made this part canon was for my interest in figuring out why certain characters behaved the way they did in the series.

That said, I most likely won't go over the whole second season. That will make this story a lot longer than I want it to be. :P

And of course, the AU is me filling in the blanks and tweaking certain reactions/ scenarios.

If you do not like the direction the story is going, I'm not keeping you here. You are more than welcomed to stop.

The great thing about writing are the different interpretations and you do not have to agree with me on them. It's what makes writing fun and reading enjoyable.

I like exploring and fleshing out characters. The flat characters with no layers underneath are not as fun to write or read.

Ok, end of note! :P Thanks for reading!


	47. Chapter 47

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After meeting with Kalos, Sora quickly made her way over to the stage.

They had to discuss the fee for the plane ticket, which the Kaleido State was paying for much to Sora's relief, as well as the duration of her absence. Kalos looked like he wanted to say something else, but in the end, he just dismissed her from his office.

_I'll probably hear about it later._

She opened the stage door. She looked down at the ice and frowned when she didn't see Leon there. With a shrug to herself, she plopped down onto a chair and put her skates on.

Whether he was there or not, it was still her practice time.

IN

She did not run into him in the hallway.

He was already backstage with Kalos. She watched as whatever was said to Leon made him stiffen ever so slightly. The stage owner continued as if he hadn't seen the reaction. Then, he left to go watch the show from the tech box.

Her interest was piqued.

IN

After the _Dracula_ show, Leon stayed in his dressing room for a bit.

He had his palms against the table in front of the mirror as his head was slightly bowed down. Silver hair hung in the air as he thought over what Kalos told him.

_Of all things for me to have encountered here, I had not expected the festival._

He let out a long sigh. Maybe if he was still in Europe, he would have remembered the upcoming competition, but he had forgotten it during his stay here.

…During his time with _her._

He did not forget who he was or what he had become. He was Leon Oswald, poor orphan turned into a top performer from France, and in the wake of his sister's passing, he became the God of Death.

He could never forget these facts.

_Ever._

And yet sometimes, he did. He was able to live beyond the title for a little bit, recall fleeting moments in which he actually enjoyed performing and ice skating and just moving about.

He should have known better.

Last night, when she asked him about having a chance, he should have taken it as an omen of things to come, the restart of his promise being put into motion again.

His desire for her clouded his mind.

He straightened up and ran a hand through his hair. _This may prove to be difficult._ The easy thing to do would be to stop chasing her and keep it neutral again; back when she didn't like him and his longing wasn't so intense.

He chuckled a humorless sound.

"Neutral?" he questioned himself in slight astonishment. He looked into the mirror and shook his head at his thoughts.

"It's much too late for that."

IN

At the end of the Kids' Stage performance, Sora dragged her feet a little as she walked back to her dressing room.

He hadn't been there.

She felt more down about it than she thought she would be. Her throat stung a little as the emotion threatened to come out. She sighed a little despondently as she turned her doorknob. Her other hand automatically went along the wall to hit the switch when she realized that there was already some light in the room.

Her head lifted up towards the lights bordering the mirror.

Upon seeing Leon sitting on the chair before the mirror, she closed the door, dropped her bag and fast walked over to him, stopping a few feet away from him.

"You weren't there."

He inclined his head. "I had something to take care of."

The stinging in her throat eased. She came over to sit on his lap as she hugged him.

"I thought that maybe you were upset with me," she murmured against his neck, "I had a meeting with the Boss earlier so I was late for practice."

He tensed a little at that. "What about?"

"I'm going to New York soon to be a temporary partner," she said as she kissed his jaw, "it shouldn't be for long though." She lifted her head from his neck and smiled. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about our dinner date tomorrow. I'll leave after that."

His form relaxed.

"Good," he stated as his hands ran along her legs.

Her eyes lidded a little.

"Leon, I know dinner will be at 5 o'clock, but could we meet a little earlier before it?" His hands paused. When his head tilted to the side, she elaborated with a tint of pink on her cheeks, "I just wanted some more time with you."

He leaned his head forward to her ear. "Will an hour before suffice?"

She nodded her head. "Thank you."

He hmmed, placing a kiss along her temple. His eyes looked over at the clock above the mirror. With satisfaction, he moved his mouth back to her ear.

"Would you like a lesson?"

"Does it have to be a new one?"

"No," he amusedly said.

She shuddered when her earlobe was between his teeth. "I think," she paused for a few moments as her decision cemented in her mind, "I want the new lesson for when I get back."

He released her ear as he took in her tone.

"Are you sure?" he murmured, wanting to make sure that he did not misunderstand her.

He nearly moaned when her tongue ran along the side of his neck. "I'm sure," she whispered in his ear. "I would think that the lesson will need some time to learn."

He grabbed the back of her head and made her head tilt back, exposing her lovely neck. "An exponential amount of time," he heatedly drawled before he returned her gesture.

Her hands tightly gripped his shoulders as his tongue took a long time to travel her throat. She lowly mewled at the wet heat of his mouth.

He knew then, as he released her hair and she met him in a devastating kiss, that he could not possibly stop his pursuit of her.

_No,_ he hazily mused as her hands slipped under his collar to lightly touch his back, _That would be impossible._

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	48. Chapter 48

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Mia blankly watched as the duo skated around on the ice.

She had sneaked in quietly, hoping to catch her friend alone. After her secret meeting with Marion, they both went out to find more information about the gossip and whether it held any water or not. She had prodded people, hoping for the sake of her friend that they were just gossip, but this morning, she managed to find the two girls that had been the witnesses.

_He's two timing Sora._

As she saw the smile on her friend's face, Mia really, really wished that it wasn't true.

Quietly, she slipped out of the stage.

IN

A while later Sora emerged from the building.

She walked along the property as she mentally thought about what to wear for the dinner.

Mia, having waited for her friend over on a bench nearby, stood up and walked over to her friend who had yet to notice Mia's approach.

"Sora," the redhead snapped out of her thoughts, "can we talk?"

"Um sure, what about?"

Mia wrung her hands. "Just…let's go somewhere private, ok?"

Sora lightly frowned in concern at the anxious tone her friend had, but complied.

IN

Mia led them over to a secluded part of the property.

Unfortunately, along the way, they had passed by May who flashed Sora a triumphant look which made Sora frown a little deeper.

_What was that about?_

If it was still about the fact that she was playing Mina, then May was rubbing it in for far too long in Sora's opinion. After all, their next production should be coming up and Sora was determined to make the leading lady role for that one.

_Especially after I asked Leon for a chance._

It would be double the embarrassment if she didn't get it.

The little grove was empty since the guests weren't here yet and most of the performers were in the cafeteria. Mia sighed and then faced her friend.

"I know about you and Leon."

Sora stuttered out some random sound as her cheeks tinted. The reaction made Mia squeeze her folded hands.

"I…really don't want to say this, but I felt as a friend I should let you know in case you haven't heard."

After that, Mia paused to take in a breath. Her eyes tightly closed as she said the next words, not wanting to see the devastation on her friend's face.

"He's dating May."

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	49. Chapter 49

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Mia's words echoed strangely in her head.

_Dating…May?_

Mia took her silence as disbelief. "Sora, I know you might not believe me, but I spoke to Michelle and Lauren. They saw May and Leon having dinner together last Thursday night."

"…We're not dating."

After she said the words, she realized that it was true. They have a date set up tonight, but otherwise they had not been on a date before. The thought followed another realization that they weren't _anything_ when it all boiled down to it.

Not partners, not friends, not significant others…

_Nothing_.

"Oh," Mia blinked at her friend. "Well…ok?"

Sora could hear the confusion in Mia's voice, but she really had no other words to say to her statement. She did not know how her friend knew that she has an interest in Leon. After all, her friends were there when she told him straight in the face that she didn't like him.

_Maybe she saw us one time._

They weren't that inconspicuous when they'd have their 'lessons' or even when they were flirting with each other.

Vaguely, she heard Mia say some other things, but her ears had shut off somehow. She nodded her head absentmindedly and she soon found herself alone among the trees.

_Alone._

She felt her legs shake; her hand reached out to the back of the bench. She sat not so gently on the bench as she blankly looked at the grass. She shuddered as a cold something invaded her insides. Her arms went around her stomach and her head bent down, her bangs falling over to cover her eyes.

Why did she have such a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach?

A pitiful sound came from her, making her still in her thoughts.

_Why should I feel this way?_

There was really nothing to get upset about; while he was the one to seek her out on most occasions, she was more than ready to accept his flirtations and seductions. She even took the initiative several times.

She knew he was chasing after her. She had even called him a "hunter" and he called her a "minx." They had acknowledged each other as predator and prey. Her sadness morphed as she continued to think.

_It's part of the game._

How could she have been so stupid to have not realized it before?

She slowly lifted her head up, her eyes flashing with dangerous fire.

_I will not forget that again._

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AN: What is this crying you speak of? :P


	50. Chapter 50

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When Leon arrived to pick her up, she had chosen to wait for him over in the parking lot.

His eyes widened as he saw her in the famed "little black dress" that most women tended to have in their closets.

She slowly stood up and walked over to him in her black open toed heels.

The dress fit close to her body, making his eyes see the delicious curves she possessed. There were no sleeves and the top part was a sweetheart neckline with the thinnest of straps holding the dress up. He opened his car door in order to open hers when she continued over to his side and wrapped her arms around his neck.

For the second time in the span of a minute, his eyes widened at her action.

"Do you like the dress?"

He was a little distracted by the sensation of her nails lightly scratching the nape of his neck.

"I had thought you would go for color," he murmured, taking in the smoky effect of her eye make-up.

Her lips made a strange smile. "You thought wrong."

He raised a brow at her words, but shrugged it off and bent his head down for a kiss. She released her hold on him and backed away from before he could do so. He blinked at her retreating figure walking around the front of his car and to the passenger door.

"Let's get going then, shall we?"

She did not wait for his response and let herself into the car.

IN

He had his hand along her lower back as they were taken to a table.

She had initially flinched at the contact, but soon relaxed against the touch. He stole a glance over at her to see if she'd sheepishly laugh at being startled, but she did not do so.

Her face stayed forward; she did not even steal one glance at him.

He frowned a little at that.

It wasn't that he was conceited enough to think that she _should _be looking at him, but rather that she _tended_ to look at him every so often when they were in each other's company. She wasn't even playing with the ends of his hair, which, again, she tended to do when she was close enough to him to do so.

The change in behavior slightly bothered him.

The server pulled out her chair. She gave the man a small smile and a nod and primly sat down. The little smile was gone when the server disappeared.

"Are you alright?"

Her lips pursed a little, but then they went back to normal. "As fine as I could be."

He continued to look at her from across their table. When she opened up the menu and kept her eyes on it, he inwardly sighed and followed her lead.

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	51. Chapter 51

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The "date" was not what he was expecting it to be.

While anticipating what Sora would do in any given situation was not entirely possible given how much spirit and the overall wild card she was, he had not been certain how their date would go.

Though, he had figured that something as simple as speech would have occurred.

He was not much of a "small talk" person, but he didn't really mind when she did it, strangely enough. Then again, there were many things that she did that would annoy him had it been from someone else.

Their orders had been long taken and their appetizers were halfway finished. Despite that, she continued to keep the menu open. Once in a while, her eyes would look away from it, but only to look at the painting on the wall closest to them. He had played with the idea that perhaps she was nervous and shy about the dinner.

The thought had only lasted a few seconds.

"Shy" and "Sora" did not belong in the same sentence, especially with the rather sensual outfit she had on. He took another sip of his wine and then placed it down on the table when he could not handle the silence any longer.

"Have I offended you in some way?"

Those words made her fingers twitch, but she did not look up.

"Some way," she mused aloud, "I guess that would cover it."

Her words made him scour his mind for what he could have possibly done between picking her up and their arrival at the restaurant.

_Not getting the car door?_

He found that highly unlikely given that she did not allow him the time to do so. He was about to continue in his thoughts when she quietly spoke again.

"You really don't know, do you?"

He looked up from his wine glass to see that she was finally looking at him. Her eyes narrowed and then they relaxed when she picked up her glass of water.

"So is this where you took May?"

Grey eyes sharpened onto her form. "No," he slowly stated after a few moments. He was not quite sure how she knew that May had offered him an apologetic dinner last week, but he was even more confused why it was brought up. "What does that have to do with this conversation?"

Something like hurt crossed her eyes, but it was quickly covered over with indignation.

"Nothing really," she intoned with a bit of a bite, "just wanted to confirm something."

He was even more baffled by the turn of events. "And what is that?"

Her hand was tightly holding the water cup. "That you, Leon Oswald, are a manipulative and heartless man." Sparks of indignation colored her eyes, "You almost had me fooled, I'll admit it. I had nearly forgotten given how well you can pretend and act, but I will not forget again."

The conversation turned into dangerous territory. Pride was something that he valued in himself and her words were attacking it.

"Manipulative? Pettiness and lies are beneath me; I abhor it to a high degree, I can assure you."

"Don't give me that," she spat out, "Everything you do is a lie! You thrive in it and make other people _suffer_ in it!"

"What would you know about me?" he quietly, but oh so venomously seethed, "You live in your little bowl of happiness and smiles; you've not had to _fight_ in the real world." Frustrated, he tossed his napkin onto the table. "All of you at the Kaleido Stage know _nothing_ about hardship. It's almost sickening."

His words made her remember the reasons why she disliked him in the beginning. She had been played and his sick little game made her want a man that did not even exist.

"I've heard enough," she said in an unstable voice.

She placed the napkin on her plate. Then, she pulled out some bills from her hand purse to pay for the dinner she had ordered, not letting him do a single thing for her.

"You can eat alone;" she tossed over her shoulder, "not like it makes any difference to you."

Her heels clacked on the smooth wooden floorboards as she left. His hands clenched on the table as her abrupt departure infuriated him.

_How had I wanted a deluded fool like her?_

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	52. Chapter 52

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Thursday afternoon, her plane landed in New York.

Sora slipped her light jacket on as the east coast weather made her a little chilly. _Maybe when I'm actually in the city it'll be warmer._

From the airport she took a cab to the address Kalos had given her and from there, she stood in front of the small performing theater that Layla was a part of. The upcoming play, _Salome in Vegas_, was advertised with a lovely and somewhat sensual image of Layla's character half lounging down on a recliner.

_Wow._

She hadn't seen that kind of expression on Layla's face before. Then again, the Kaleido Stage was more of a kids and family friendly sort of place.

_At least, it used to be._

She frowned a little at that.

"Sora," someone called out.

She blinked out of her daze and looked to her left, where a young woman on a bike was making her way over to her. She could not see the hair color for it was tucked in the helmet, but the striking blue eyes of her old partner left no doubt of whom the cyclist was.

"Layla!"

IN

After the short reintroduction of partners, Layla ushered her friend inside.

"How was the trip? Was there any turbulence?"

"Not really," Sora responded with her grin still on her face, "just a little when we were descending."

Layla ran a hand through her hair as she gathered it up for a ponytail. "That's good to hear." She led the redhead over to a woman with short, light cherry hair. "This is Cathy, the director. She'll be giving you the overall laydown of the scene we need you for. Cathy."

The director turned around from her note writing. "Layla, you're just in time! I was just getting the stage crew to put the props and scenery out." Her pale blue eyes moved over to Sora. "Oh, a newcomer? You must be Sora Naegino!"

The woman put a hand out and gave Sora a firm handshake.

"Thanks again for coming on such short notice! Little Miss Goldilocks over here," her eyes narrowed at Layla in accusation to which Layla easily shrugged off, "decided that our previous acrobat was no good and fired her."

"Don't act like you weren't there when it happened," Layla smoothly intoned, "You went along with my decision."

"Why do I even bother?" Cathy threw her hands in the air. "Divas I tell you! Nothing's right until they 'ok' it!"

Sora was wide eyed. _I don't think I've ever heard someone talk to Layla like that. _And the blonde wasn't saying any biting comment back to it.

"In any case," Cathy continued after a long sigh, "we appreciate you coming."

IN

After practice, Sora had dinner with the rest of the cast.

The young man that played Johan proved to be really funny despite the somewhat serious character he played.

"It's all about balance," he told Sora with a wink, "Sometimes I feel like all my jokes need to be counterbalanced with serious roles every once in a while or else I can be a little obnoxious."

"Just a little?" asked another actor.

That brought out some laughs from their table.

IN

Sora walked down the hallway of the hotel they gave her. She mused on the differences between the theater arts and acrobatics

_I never really thought about it like that._

Most of her roles were adjusted to her personality or she made them more fun like her version of _The Little Mermaid_. While there was a storyline to the shows, the acrobatic tricks and maneuvering was the focus of their performances.

_I guess that's why my performing's in line with my personality._

Her focus and concentration were on the maneuvers; it would be harder for her to alter the emotion of her performances to something that was not in her to begin with.

She paused in front of her door for longer than necessary.

_It's probably why Leon's Dracula is so frightening._

Her eyes narrowed in memory of Wednesday. Roughly, she swiped her room key card and entered her room with her roller suitcase following close behind.

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AN: Miles away, and he's still on her mind...


	53. Chapter 53

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Friday had three practices for Sora and only two for the rest of the cast.

Cathy was pleased with the level of skill that the young acrobat was displaying, but Layla was a little disappointed. Though, the blonde did not say this out loud. Layla chalked it up to Sora getting into the role and decided to wait and see how she was the next day.

_That should give her enough time to adjust to the smaller stage._

Saturday morning's practice came and then went. Layla was getting a little worried. The afternoon practice occurred after a lunch break with Sora not doing much better. Layla's long ponytail flared out behind her as she stayed in her ending pose.

There was some clapping from the other cast members and a grin on Cathy's face.

Layla walked off of the stage to grab her sweat towel. Her blue eyes watched as Sora came nearby and took a drink from her water bottle. The teen looked fatigued and in low spirits.

_This is not good._

IN

The night practice didn't have any hiccups.

As per usual, Sora ate with the cast in the hotel dining area and then headed up to her room. With a sigh, she got her pajamas out and laid them on the bed.

_Layla's performance is still overshadowing me._

The blonde star had told Sora not to hold back, to give it her all and improvise with whatever moves she felt were appropriate for the scene. Sora was trying to, but even she could tell that she could do better than what she was offering so far.

She was in a funk that she could not shake out of.

_I better get out of it soon._

The thought of not letting Layla down boosted her spirits a little. Her old partner was counting on her to make that scene a success.

She padded over to the bathroom, hoping that a nice soak will help.

IN

In the Sunday morning practice Sora felt that she did a lot better than the past two days.

During lunch, Layla had received a phone call and left the dining area. Sora looked to Cathy to see what it was about, but the director shrugged it off.

"She's always getting calls from recruiters."

Sora could see that happening, especially since she had seen movie producers trying to get Layla into their films when she was the leading lady of the Kaleido Stage. She saddened a little with the reminder that things were different and Layla was no longer in that position.

_I'm not even in that position._

She played around with the food on her plate.

IN

Monday morning's practice was pushed forward as per Layla's request.

Biting back a yawn, Sora stretched out her arms and then her legs for the practice. Layla was with the others doing vocal exercises that made Sora laugh inside.

_I wonder if Sarah has to do something like that for her role._

This time she did giggle aloud, but her joy was quickly cut off with the dramatic opening of the main theater doors. Everyone turned around to see who just entered in. Sora heard someone asking another actor who it was, but it all sounded like background noise to her.

Coming down the aisle was none other than the current leading lady of the Kaleido Stage.

Sora went through several emotions as the sudden and unexpected appearance of May Wong strutted down to the stage with all the usual pomp and confidence the teen constantly gave off. Extreme confusion filled Sora which was followed by suspicion and then outrage.

_She overheard my conversation with the Boss!_

Sora's brows were in a deep frown as she stared at May's smug smirk. The Chinese acrobat stopped right in front of her with her hands on her hips in a haughty fashion.

"Well, well. So this is where you ran off to before our break even started."

Sora bristled at her tone. "What are you doing here May? You can't just _barge_ into places whenever you feel like it!"

May's eyes narrowed in insult. She had a hand up with a finger pointed at Sora in preparation to tell her off when Layla's voice sounded over both of them.

"I invited her."

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AN: Oo snap.


	54. Chapter 54

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The theater was silent.

Sora stepped back in shock as if she had been slapped in the face. A little wide eyed, Sora turned to her old partner, hoping that she misheard her.

"May was invited by you?"

"Yes," came Layla's lithe voice.

The pit in her stomach came back with a vengeance.

_First Leon and now Layla…_

"Looks like you're not the top choice anymore," May snidely said, unknowingly voicing out Sora's thoughts.

The dark haired teen intended for her words to crush Sora down even more and had even stepped extremely close to her; however, with the sharp look in her brown eyes, May realized too late that it only added anger to the storm inside her.

"We'll see about that," Sora muttered to her face, and then shoved the girl away from her.

May's foot caught the corner of her suitcase and she tripped over it, landing onto the floor in an undignified heap. Her hands quickly pulled her skirt back down as it had ridden up indecently when she fell over. Some hooting came from those that had seen her red underwear.

With a hiss, May came up from the floor and viciously shoved Sora back.

The redhead stumbled backwards and crashed against the side of the raised stage. She bit back a cry as she felt the beginning of a bruise on her lower back. With a frustrated huff, she came forward as May was coming.

The teens collided in an angry mess of hair pulling and nail scratching.

"Alright, break it up you two!" hollered Cathy as she ran over to the catfight, closely followed by some other performers coming over to help break up the fight.

Layla watched as her once timid ex-partner gave a hard pull on one of May's pigtails, resulting in a loud shriek from the dark haired girl. Her arms crossed as she shook her head.

_Kalos wasn't exaggerating._

IN

The two teens had patched up and were in Layla's hotel room.

They sat on opposite ends of the couch as Layla was on the other one across from them. Cathy had been in there earlier to scold them about proper theater behavior and then promptly left for Layla to say her piece to the two teens.

Sora idly smoothed over the Band-Aid on her cheek as she waited for Layla to scold them.

_I'm kind of worried what she'll say._

She had never before been in a catfight. Sure, she'd seen them on TV and even in her school back in Japan, but she really didn't understand why girls would behave so viciously with each other. The feelings that had coursed through her were foreign and strange, yet so consuming and quick to multiple.

It was like a disease that infected her body.

She didn't like the feeling.

"What you two did back there," Layla finally started, "you need to do it again."

Both teens gaped at their role model.

"What?!"

"But Layla—"

A firm hand came up and halted their speech.

"The fighting aspect was not what I meant. The intensity of those emotions is what I am looking for in the performance. You two," she looked at one and then the other, "are both needed. Separate, you don't hold enough presence; but together, you create the perfect chaos of emotions for Salome."

_Chaos…is that what I've become?_

Sora's head drooped a little.

"I'll make you proud Miss Layla! You can count on me!" crowed May, "It's been my lifelong dream to perform with you!"

"I'm counting on both of you," Layla corrected. "Opening night is this Friday."

Sora lifted her head a little at that, but not by much. The fact that May had to be called in was a blow to her already low spirits. "We'll work hard," she finally said.

"Good." Layla stood up. "I'll see you two in the morning."

Sora stood up and when Layla entered her bedroom, she turned around and headed to the front door. She paused as she noted that May hadn't followed.

"She said she'll see us in the morning," Sora bit out.

Smugly, May stretched her arms out along the back of the couch. "I know. You can go. Layla and I will meet up with you in the morning, since she offered me the spare bed in her hotel room."

Sora's hand tightly gripped the doorknob. "'Night, then."

"Nighty night!" came May's voice in a superior tone, "Don't let the vampire bite; not that he'd _want _to bite you."

For the second time in one day, Sora wanted to go over and put May in her place. She took a long breath in and with great willpower she opened the door and left Layla's room.

As she walked down the hallway, her mental barrier began to falter with May's parting words.

_"..not that he'd want to bite you…"_

She knew the 'he' that May was referencing and the hurt she had been holding within was coming back out along with the sting from Layla calling in the bane of her existence. Her hand came up to her mouth to muffle the sound that had slipped out.

By the time she got to her floor and inside her room, her eyes were red from the drops that had fallen down her cheeks. When her door closed, she could no longer hold the feelings back at bay anymore.

She slid down onto the floor and bawled out the pain.

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AN: I'm sorry, this needs to happen... :(


	55. Chapter 55

AN: A little break from the east coast drama...

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On the west coast, Kalos looked at his car by his condo.

When Sarah happened upon him talking to Layla on the phone and suggesting that he send May over to New York to get Sora into gear, he knew that there would be repercussions to what he had said.

Since then, he had been hiding his car keys and his wallet. He even asked Policeman Jerry to put those blocks on his wheels so that Sarah wouldn't take it out of the parking space of his condo.

He took a cab to work until her rage passed.

Worst case scenario, he figured she'd paint his car neon pink, but he would prefer paint than a more expensive body work done on the car. Then he'd have to spend money to get it back to normal.

But this monstrosity…he would not have expected it from her.

Rainbow peace signs littered the body of his car with matching rainbow upholstery; no doubt she paid someone extra—probably with his money somehow—to do a "house call" job. He tilted his head to the side in order to better see what was hanging from his rearview mirror.

An atrocious pink fuzzy dice topped the new look of his car.

_The repairs are coming out of her paycheck._

He highly doubted that she'd bat an eyelash at the loss. He turned around from the grotesque sight that his car was and pulled out his cell phone. When Sarah finally picked up, she seemed to know why he was calling as she starting talking about peace signs and Gandhi.

He raised a brow at her reasoning. "That is not the meaning of 'civil disobedience'…"

IN

Out on the stage, Leon's figure was a blur on the ice.

His blades cut the ice with precision and without another thought to the damage done. His silver hair flowed around him like liquid mercury, enchanting to watch but dangerous to touch.

He made a sharp turn and his skate shaved the ice he had passed by, further marring the once smooth surface of the rink.

There was a moment of stillness as he looked around him at the deep cuts in the ice and the wasteland he transformed this once perfect scene of pseudo winter.

Somewhere in his looking, his mind inputted a memory onto the scene of a figure skating with him, trusting him with eyes closed as he spun them around. Her red hair flitted into the air as she arched her back and posed. He watched her from his crouched position, focusing on her like she'd be the last image he'd ever see and yet he had no qualms with that idea.

If he was honest with himself, he'd _still_ have no qualms with that.

He blinked and the memory was back in his head.

His hands fisted; he'd done it again.

_This is not what I'm in here for._

Grey eyes narrowed. With a turn of his head, he skated off of the rink, knowing that his concentration will not return while on the ice.

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	56. Chapter 56

AN: Back to the east coast.

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The next days of practice passed by none too quickly.

There were the bouts of frustration and anger that filled Sora while in May's presence, which occurred frequently what with them being in the same scene. What made matters worse was when May would throw a verbal jab about the situation of her needing to come and "save" the scene since Sora couldn't cut it. The worst comments revolved around May being the leading lady, therefore acknowledged by a top performer whose skills were unrivaled.

Sora allowed the feelings of irritation and lingering hurt to come in order to fuel her performance, but she did not want to lash out again.

Fighting with other performers wasn't something she wanted to do.

It didn't matter if she didn't get along with them; she knew better than that, she used to be stronger than that and she felt like the fight she had was proof of how weak she had become.

_When did I lose my resolve? Where is my spirit?_

The change in her was very upsetting.

IN

It was finally Friday night and the curtain was due to rise in a few minutes.

Morosely, Sora stood by and waited to get it over with. _This is not what I had expected._ When Kalos told her that Layla wanted her help, she was hoping there'd be some time for them to talk and enjoy some companionable moments like they used to back when they were partners.

_But we're not partners._ Layla had even said it herself when she called Cathy her new partner.

And where was Sora in this mess?

_I'm adrift at sea with a rotting plank of wood._

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her grim thoughts. She blinked as 'Johan' stood beside her.

"Don't get lost in the emotions of the scene," he quietly said. "I know it's hard to separate what you feel in the play and what you feel outside of it, but don't let the chaos that Layla wants to be something that defines you. Go through it when you're on the stage and then release it when you're not under the spotlight."

She blinked at the idea of being able to unhook 'chaos' from her off of the stage like a heavy cape.

"The balance," she said, "is needed."

He gave her a smile. "Exactly."

IN

When Layla went up to dance as Salome, Sora and May jumped on the tightropes above the stage.

The red lights and the dramatic music made Sora's heart pound.

As Salome demonstrated beauty with the tosses of her hair and veil, Sora recalled seeing the smiles of the kids at the Kaleido Stage. Each one was unique and came from inner feelings of joy and happiness. She twirled over May as she let that feeling flow.

When Salome enacted infatuation with caressing motions of her hands, Leon's form inevitability came to her mind when she was smitten with the sound of his laughter, however rough and short it had been. She draped herself along the ropes in a longing sigh.

Jealously and anguish came with jarring force. Salome twisted around and around, gripping her head in pain at the feeling of unrequited love. The time in the grove when Mia told her that May and Leon were dating came back with unwanted suddenness, she bent over as her stomach clenched. She easily transitioned that into a forward drop and hung in the air as she contoured her limbs in agony.

Finally, dark satisfaction appeared on Salome's face as her idea of retribution poisoned her mind and empowered her, giving her fake strength. Salome smiled too widely as she threw her head back and then folded herself forward in a smooth motion. Sora had trouble transitioning to this last emotion, but she attempted to by executing complicated movements with dramatic flicks of the head and wrists.

The scene ended with Salome in a dramatic pose with her arms lowered beside her body and her hair almost touching the floor as she arched her back. Sora and May posed with their arms arching in the opposite directions and their legs wrapped around the ropes to suspend them in the air.

The audience cheered loudly. The two teens panted a little and shared a look.

_Layla beat us._

The sharing had only lasted two seconds before they continued to ignore the other and quickly got off of the stage for the next scene to take place.

When Sora entered the wings, she remembered the advice and closed her eyes to calm herself down. May went past her to get a water bottle.

_Release it._

She let out a long breath and then took a long one in. After a moment of just enjoying the sensation of breathing, she opened her eyes. She didn't feel completely rid of that chaos of emotions, but it certainly wasn't so heavy on her heart.

_Maybe performing it out helped as well._

She watched as Salome and Johan faced each other before Herod. Then, Salome stepped back and allowed Herod to shoot Johan. Tears formed in Sora's eyes.

Hadn't she loved him?

There were so many things that Sora did not understand.

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	57. Chapter 57

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They stayed in New York for another week and then left for Cape Mary.

Since they had the same destination, Sora and May had reluctantly shared a cab and boarded the same plane. Thankfully, their seats were in different aisles. They would have driven each other crazy if that were to occur. It was bad enough that May kept rubbing it in her face that Leon had dropped her off at the airport.

"He's most likely going to pick me up as well," she had smugly told Sora before going to find her seat on the plane.

_He can take you_, Sora grouched in her mind. _Anything to get you away from me._

Spending two weeks with her had been aggravating. She couldn't wait to talk and eat meals with her own friends. While she did enjoy eating with the cast, May's loudmouth tended to spoil any stories coming from her end.

She made herself comfortable for the flight. In the back of her mind, she realized that she may be running into Leon sooner than she had wanted to, but if she just quickly collected her suitcase and found Jerry before Leon showed up for May, then there shouldn't be an issue.

_Like he'd see it as an issue._

She closed her eyes with irritation.

IN

The airport was abuzz with travelers, but it wasn't as crowded as it could be.

Like she had planned, as soon as they landed, she zoomed through security and waited impatiently for her luggage. When she spotted the magenta suitcase, she heft it off of the conveyer belt and went through another security check.

The little wheels of her suitcase thudded in a pattern as it went over the tiled flooring.

_He usually waits for me around here…_

She looked around for Jerry, hoping that he was already here. She got on her tiptoes in an attempt to help her see over the crowd when she realized that Jerry's tallness wouldn't require her to tiptoe.

_Ah, the advantages of having tall friends._

She let out a little smile at that.

She shook her head in thought and then she stilled as the feeling of someone being behind her had her alert. Her heart thudded as she wondered, half in anxiety and half in a strange mixture of trepidation and anticipation if _he _had found her.

He had that bad habit of doing that.

She turned around to see if the hunter managed to find his prey.

"Hello dear," said an elderly lady carrying a very familiar wallet with stars on it, "I believe you dropped this over by the security check."

Sora blinked once as her brain registered that it was definitely _not _who she thought it was and then she blinked a second time when she saw the item being held up.

"Oh, thank you! I was in a rush!"

"We all have our moments, especially when we're meeting with someone." When Sora tilted her head, the older woman laughed. "Isn't that why you were rushing?" With a smile, she added, "And I think this is my cue to go."

"Excuse me?" Sora politely asked, "What cue?"

But the woman had already turned around and started walking away. Perplexed, Sora put her wallet back into her shorts pocket and then faced the way she had originally been looking before the woman had approached her.

She froze as Leon stood a mere hand's reach away.

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	58. Chapter 58

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Her hands by her side began to tremble with his proximity.

"May's back there." Sora kept her gaze on his shoulder rather than saying it to his face.

She did not hear him respond.

Her brows furrowed a little and then she slightly turned to reach a hand out to grip the handle of her roller suitcase. She blinked upon seeing it missing. A little frantic, she turned her head back to Leon to ask him if he saw where it went when she noticed that it was over by his side.

"Give it back," she bit out.

He spared her a glance and then walked off with it.

Indignant, she followed behind. When there was a break in the flow of people, she fast walked in front of him and grabbed the handle of her bag. She tugged, but he had a firm grip on it.

"I'm not in the mood for your games," she ground out.

She gave another useless tug and held back the urge to kick him in the shin or even to cry. The past two weeks severely tested her control and she felt at her wits' end.

Something on her face must have revealed one or both of those emotions, for Leon let go of the bag and allowed her to pull it from his side.

The action surprised her.

Brown eyes looked at his face, but there was an impenetrable mask on.

"Your police friend called Kalos to say that he couldn't make it," he neutrally intoned.

Her jaw loosened and her lips parted at the unexpected news and the implications of his presence in front of her rather than May.

Grey eyes looked down at her mouth; the mask did not reach his eyes as the flicker of want showed through.

She saw it and promptly closed her mouth.

The emotion she saw made her irritated. It covered up the starting of appreciation for him as she realized that he was still playing her, trying to get her to do what he wanted.

"I'll take a cab."

The flicker of emotion in his eyes cooled down with her words. "That's nonsensical."

She shrugged. "You're here for May. Why be the third wheel?"

His mask dropped slightly, showing the tiredness and frustration on his face.

"Don't be so juvenile," he lowly said, "I'm here for you too."

Her hand tightened its hold on the handle as her emotions swirled around. She was still hurt and angry at him, especially with May's biting comments about how great her partnership with Leon was.

Over the two weeks, she came to terms with the source of the hurt inside.

She had wanted to get to know him. She wanted to be his partner.

She wanted_ him_.

The realization did nothing to soothe her. It burned her on the inside to know that May was his first choice, not her. May was his partner and May was the one going out on dinner dates with him, probably touching and kissing him and who knows what else.

She was only entertainment.

"I don't want your help," she bitterly said.

Her tone made him scrutinize her. "I'm not offering help."

She stood still, letting his statement hang in the air. May called out to Leon, which prompted him to move towards the exit. Despite all the noise in the place, she was able to hear the easy pace of his footfalls. May passed her, ruining the sound and Sora stayed where she was.

After waiting a few seconds, Sora moved.

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	59. Chapter 59

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Sora slid into the backseat after putting her luggage in the trunk.

May had immediately claimed the front seat with the realization that Sora would be coming along. The triumphant look May shot Sora upset her more than the seating arrangements.

_Annoying brat._

She blinked as she realized what she just called May. Too fed up to care, she buckled her seatbelt and looked outside her window.

The car door in front of her opened and closed, signaling Leon's return from closing the trunk. He put his seatbelt on and adjusted the rearview mirror, catching Sora in the back of the car. She wasn't looking at him, but despondently staring at the window even though there really was nothing to see.

His eyes narrowed in the mirror.

The car started and he smoothly pulled out of the parking structure of the airport.

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After their disastrous dinner date Wednesday night, Leon allowed them the rest of Wednesday and the following Thursday morning to cool down from the emotions spoken last night.

He had been sorely displeased to find her gone.

When she said she'd be leave after their dinner date, he had not thought she meant so soon. And so for the following two weeks his questions about Wednesday night were left unresolved. He grew angry with his fixation on her even though she had insulted him.

For a while, he had decided to keep her labeled as a fool and be done with it.

He practiced and busied himself; he trained hard so he would be too tired to dream of her at night.

It worked for four days.

After that, wherever he went to the ice he'd remember what he taught her to do and how well they skated and danced along the slippery surface.

When he walked anywhere on the Kaleido Stage grounds, he recalled _something_ that involved her and him. He then began to train somewhere off the grounds.

That had helped with his focus during training, but at night, when he looked at his bed the dream of her lying on it flashed through his mind and how the dark covers contrasted so beautifully with her skin and hair.

He promptly changed the midnight covers to a boring tan.

His mind managed to make the sight of her on it look stunning in the dream.

He tried sleeping on the couch for a while, but his legs were too long to fit comfortably, making his sleep short and very awkward. Back in Europe, he used to be an insomniac; he had started to sleep better in the few months that he was here, but now with the festival and the issue with Sora he wasn't sleeping as well as he used to.

He found that he still wanted her.

His earlier assessment about not being able to stop pursuing her had been correct. Before she left for New York was when things had turned sour; if it wasn't for that, they'd still be on fairly good terms.

_What went wrong?_

They had been connecting and enjoying each other's company before the date. He needed to know the answer, even if it wasn't in his favor.

He stole a glance in the mirror to see Sora blankly staring at the buildings of the city.

_I will find out what it was._

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AN: This story is dedicated to anyone who's ever experienced conflicting emotions. Such a roller coaster... With that in mind, the theme song of this story is "Poison and Wine" by The Civil Wars.


	60. Chapter 60

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Monday night Sora was doing her shift at the pizzeria.

She had managed to get someone to do her shifts in return for taking their shifts the two weeks she returned from New York. She was still a little jetlagged from yesterday but she came to work anyways.

_If I can do flips on the ice and trampoline, I can serve._

She passed out a round of drinks when her fellow waitress came over.

"Hey Sora, someone requested you by name."

Sora blinked. "Oh. Is it Tim?"

The teen shook her head. With a giggle, she leaned over to Sora's ear, "He's pretty hot!"

"Karen!" Sora laughed.

"Well he is!" Karen took the tray from Sora's hand. "He's in the right corner booth in the back. You can't miss him."

Curious, Sora walked over to the area on the other side of the pizzeria. She started to take out her pen and notepad when silver hair made her halt in her steps, nearly causing Ralph to collide with her with his tray of pizza slices.

"Watch it!"

Sora eeped and quickly moved out of the way. "Sorry about that!"

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Leon idly tapped his forefinger on the table as he waited for Sora to come.

Soon, he heard someone yell and a familiar voice quickly apologizing somewhere behind him. His forefinger stopped. He didn't have to wait for long for her to come over to his table.

"What are you doing here?" she half hissed at him.

He gave her outfit a slow perusal, liking the black skirt that fit close to her curves and the look of the black heels on her feet. The white collared quarter sleeved blouse was alright as was the half apron, but he liked seeing her hair in a somewhat messy bun better than those two aspects of her uniform.

"I need to talk to you."

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Sora couldn't figure out how he knew where she worked.

Heck, she still couldn't believe that he knew that she had a part time job! Technically, she wasn't supposed to have one, but she figured as long as Kalos or anyone from the stage didn't know and she kept up with her practices and performances, there couldn't be anything to wrong with it.

"How did you find me?"

He gave her a half smirk that showed his teeth. "I'm a hunter, remember?"

She fought back a blush as the expression further emphasized the suave mood of his opened navy blue dress shirt and black slacks.

"I didn't peg you as a pizza person."

"That is neither here nor there." He shrugged. "There are more pressing matters to discuss than my eating habits."

"I'm busy."

He quirked a brow. "You're not even supposed to be here unless I misread the exclusivity clause on our contracts."

Her eyes widened as he brought that up with ease. "…is that a threat?"

He gave her a slow blink. "It doesn't have to be."

She clenched the pen in her hand. "If you don't order something, I do have the right to throw you out for loitering."

His menu opened up with ease. "I'll have the sundried tomato and mushroom pizza."

She scribbled down the order, glad to have something else to do instead of looking at him.

"Anything else?"

"A glass of water and lemon."

She slipped the notebook and pen back in her apron pocket. "I'll be back with that." She reached down to take his menu, but he slid it further down the table. Her lips pursed at his action.

"Could you pass me the menu?"

"I'm afraid I cannot."

She refrained from knocking that cocky smirk off of his face. "Why not?"

"You asked if I can, and I replied in the negative." He turned his face away from hers, choosing to look at her from the corner of his eye. "Do not ask me something if you do not want to give me the choice of rejecting the request."

"Give me the menu."

"That wasn't very polite."

Her eye twitched. "Please give me the menu or I will _accidently _kick you in the shin."

He handed her the menu, taking a look at the flame in her brown eyes.

She grabbed the menu, but he did not completely let go of it. She frowned and looked at him in order to tell him to _kindly_ let go or else she'd _kindly_ smack him upside the head, claiming that a bee had landed in his hair. Without meaning to, she looked at his eyes dancing with amusement and the stiff mask that he had at the airport was not on at the moment.

He was still pretty impassive, but the tenseness was not there.

She frowned at the change, not wanting him to do that.

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	61. Chapter 61

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He had been staring at the goofy picture of three grandmas doing the can-can when the clacking of heels announced her arrival.

"Here's your water."

She placed the glass down on a coaster and pulled out a straw from her apron pocket. Then, she walked away before he was given the chance to speak. She did not look at him and set about getting the orders of the newer group that came in shortly after Leon.

He sipped his water, still looking at the picture.

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Karen frowned a little upon seeing how quickly Sora walked away from the silver haired man's table.

_Was she blind or something?_

Plus, with the nice clothing he looked like a good tipper as long as the service was good. She had considered that maybe Sora had a boyfriend already especially after she talked to the other servers. Apparently, the teen had been asked out before by one of their guests and the girl had declined, saying that she was interested in someone else.

Karen took another glance at the man's table. Sora was passing him by without looking at him but the man's eyes were following her movements to the back kitchen.

_Well, he has an interest at least._

"Um, are you going to take my order?"

The sandy blonde snapped her head forward. "Oh of course! What'll it be?"

IN

Sora came back to his table with his pizza.

While she moved about the pizzeria, he re-strategized and decided that jumping straight to the main issue was not working with her.

"Why are you working here?"

She paused with his personal pizza hovering over the table and then she set it down a little harder than she should have.

"What do you care?"

He refrained from responding the same way as their dinner date. "What makes you think I don't?"

"There's hardly anything that makes me think that you do."

"I picked you up from the airport."

She continued to cut the pizza into slices. "Only because of May."

He paused a little as he mulled that over. "That is the second time you've mentioned something along those lines." He tilted his head in memory. "Third, if you count Wednesday."

"Probably because it's true," she bit out.

His eyes noticed the tight grip she had on the knife. "You're jealous."

"In your dreams."

"Hm," he started as he leaned back in the cushion of the booth, "My dreams have more pleasing topics."

Her knife slipped off the plate.

She stared at him wide eyed. He stared back, bold grey eyes unrelenting. She quickly averted her eyes, her cheeks a little red but she was not willing to let him get to her.

"Is that all you want me for, then? One night and then that's that?"

His eyes continued to stare at her. _Only once? _ No, he did not think that would be possible. She had a much stronger hold on him than she realized.

"You underestimate yourself," he murmured.

The knife stopped in the middle of cutting. She stared hard at the pizza for some time and then continued cutting it at a faster pace.

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	62. Chapter 62

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She finished in record time.

The last slices looked pathetically cut, but she didn't care at the moment. She needed to go before he said something else that swayed her over to him.

"Kalos asked me to take May to the airport," he said without any prompting. "She refused to take a taxi or cab, saying that she did not trust them."

She sharply looked at him, wondering if he knew what she had been trying to prevent.

She left before he revealed something else.

IN

It was getting late in the pizzeria.

Karen looked at the stragglers in the place, seeing that the silver haired man was in his booth and Sora was nowhere near him. Not wanting the other guests to get the wrong impression of the place, she walked over to his booth.

"Would you like a to-go box and the check?"

IN

Sora was cleaning a table down when Karen came over.

"The tall guy with silver hair is still here."

Sora rubbed the table even harder. "The place closes in a few minutes. You can kick him out."

Karen frowned. "What is up with you? I've never seen you like this before."

With a tired sigh, Sora stopped. "I'll go over in a few. Just let me finish cleaning this table."

IN

His leftovers were in a box and his check had been long paid.

He heard her footsteps coming over and she plopped herself on the opposite end of the booth, facing him directly.

"I needed money for the toys."

He tilted his head. "Does not Kalos pay for those?"

She shook her head, looking at her hands folded on the table.

"The Boss gave the Kids' Stage some funds, but not enough to cover the main show toys. Since I'm not…in the position I used to be in, my paychecks couldn't cover the costs of all the toys needed."

She had the dorm and cafeteria fees to pay as well as her bus pass to renew. Her lower salary covered all of that with some extra spending money, but the addition of the toys for every _Dracula_ performance quickly drained that fund.

"They're a frivolous expense."

She frowned. "To you maybe."

He was silent for a bit. "Can your friends not help?"

"It was my idea." She tugged at her quarter sleeve. "They don't need to spend their hard earned money for that." She sighed and then looked back at him. "I answered your question. Now you can go."

"I did not say that was the only question I had."

She huffed at his response, not at all too surprised. "We're closed."

She slid out of the booth and waited until he did as well. Slowly, he stood up, leaving a tip on the table and then picking up his box. She watched as he opened the front door and closed it. Only when she saw him walking away through the front windows did she stop looking.

She picked up the five dollar bill and gave it to Karen.

IN

After cleaning up, Sora shrugged on her jacket and hefted her shoulder bag on.

The late night was chilly and she rubbed her hands together to keep warm. She started off to wait by the bus stop a little ways away from the pizzeria.

She frowned as she spotted Leon on the bench.

"You haven't left yet?"

He stayed seated with his coat collar pulled up. "We still need to talk."

She made an exasperated sound. "I _told_ you why I'm working here already!"

"And I told you," he lowly stated, "that I need to talk to you."

She stayed standing by the bench. "…I don't feel like talking."

He looked over at her and then stood up. "I'll take you home."

She softly scoffed at the 'offer.'

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She wouldn't admit it, but she was glad for the ride.

The late bus wasn't due for a good fifteen minutes and she was tired and cold. He turned the heater on and simply drove in silence for a few minutes.

Just when she was starting to relax, he spoke again.

"How was New York?"

She stiffened in her seat. "So-so."

He hmmed as he made a right turn. "I am not fond of crowded cities."

"…Me neither."

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When the car parked, she undid her seatbelt.

She turned to him, not daunted that he was already looking at her.

"Thanks," she quietly said.

He nodded.

She opened the door and slipped out. Before she closed it, she popped her head back into the car to address him.

"This was just a one-time thing."

She closed the door before he could agree or disagree to that.

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	63. Chapter 63

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Tuesday night at the pizzeria, Karen approached her again.

"He's back."

Sora needed no more information to know who she was talking about. "You can take his table."

"I did suggest someone else for him, but he insists on you."

She couldn't decide if she was more peeved or slightly flattered in a twisted way.

IN

"I'll try the salami special tonight."

She jotted it down, pointedly ignoring how the dark grey pinstriped dress shirt complemented his eyes.

He had no problem admiring how the red braid along her shoulder contrasted with the white of her blouse.

IN

Overall, her service was better than the night before, but she still was pretty stiff when it came to the conversation.

He left around closing time again.

Her eyes narrowed. _I doubt that's the last time I'll be seeing him._

IN

Sure enough, he had been on the bench by the bus stop.

He looked at her and then stood up.

She stayed where she was as he walked off. After five seconds, her traitorous feet moved, following him to his car.

IN

Wednesday night was the same deal.

He refused to order unless she was the server. She huffed at his behavior, but she went over again, bringing a glass of water and lemon before arriving to take his order.

He quirked a brow at the glass.

He was pleased with the change.

IN

"Why did you come again?" she asked from the passenger seat.

He looked over at her while he waited for the green light. "Why were you upset with me that night?"

Her eyes flashed, but she did not say.

The light turned green and he looked forward again.

IN

He parked the car. She quickly undid her seatbelt and pulled on the handle.

The door did not open.

_The door's unlocked. Why won't it open?_

"Why," his voice lowly sounded in the closed space, "won't you answer me?"

She frowned as she realized what was wrong. "Take off the child lock."

"Not until you answer."

His superiority riled her up. _He pre-planned this._

"Because you're an ass!" she spat out in frustration. "Now take off the lock!"

Her hand pushed at the door tirelessly despite the fact that no amount of pressure would make it open. She was starting to consider jumping into the back seat and getting out that way when his hand gripped her chin and brought her face far too close to his for comfort.

"That's not it."

Something broke in her with those quiet, simple words.

All her feelings for the past three weeks rushed over her, overwhelming her in a tide that was too strong to hold back. Her eyes were glistening with quick tears; her throat ached with the beginnings of a cry.

"You don't want me," she softly said with the slightest hitch in her voice.

Her words were not what he had expected and his disbelief was apparent by the frown on his face and the slight irritation in his eyes.

_I don't want her?_

He'd laugh if he didn't think she'd take it the wrong way.

His hand made her head tilt up and his mouth heatedly covered hers. Her little gasp turned into a mew when his tongue came in and he groaned when they brushed each other again. He had not been able to taste her in so long he was hungry in his kiss, dominating her mouth as if it were the last time she'd let him touch her. He poured his desire and frustration into the kiss, letting her know that he wanted _everything _to do with her.

_How she thought otherwise is beyond me._

The sweet lips of hers he nibbled and sucked, savoring the soft texture and taking pride and pleasure in the way she lightly moaned and dug her fingers into his hair.

He paid a long homage to her bottom lip, appreciating the amount of plumpness in it and the way it looked when she pouted or pursed her lips at him.

The teasing actions set him on fire when she did them.

He slanted his mouth over hers for another round of tasting. He took his time, running his tongue the way that would bring out the most reactions out of her.

She violently shivered at his sensual treatment and she could not hold any sounds back from him.

With one last caress of his wet appendage against hers, he released her.

She panted as he stared at her against the seat. His eyes were those that were seeing something he approved of, something that he wanted very much to have dealings with. Her face was still flushed as he got out of the car and opened her door.

"So you and May…"

He bent over to press her into the seat. His hands brushed her thighs as he kissed her deeply. She moaned again, her hands coming up to his face and pulling his head closer to hers.

"The question is," he drawled against her mouth, "what about you and me?"

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	64. Chapter 64

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Thursday things changed between them.

Around the Kaleido Stage, there was this tension in the air when they came across each other. It was electric, unbearable, and oh so pleasurably agonizing.

The first time, she waited in anticipation as he came close enough for her to feel his body heat; she waited for him to whisper something in her ear or herd her over by the wall, but he did neither.

He simply twirled a lock of her hair and then continued on his way.

After one of the Kids' Stage performances, he approached her again, using only his forefinger to touch her.

"Not bad," he murmured.

She shivered as his finger ran along her cheek. "I think, by the way you keep coming, that it's more than good."

"No," he lowly said with his eyes lidded, "it has the potential to exceed my expectations."

His finger barely touched her lips. Her eyes darkened in emotion.

"That's pretty confident for only a spectator."

He leaned over her, letting his words tease her face. "Not for long," he promised.

She leaned up to kiss him, but then stopped with the barest touch of lips.

"We'll just have to see."

She turned around, letting him watch her walk away.

_I should have talked to her sooner _he mused as she stole a glance back at him and then looked forward again. Her look shot a thrill down his spine.

He couldn't wait for their next encounter.

IN

Long after the last _Dracula _show, they were at the pizzeria.

His hand grazed her leg and she lightly smacked his shoulder with her notepad.

"Do that again and I'll kick you out for harassment."

He took in the pink along her cheeks and withdrew his hand. "I highly doubt that hitting a customer is allowed in your handbook."

"Most anything's allowed for defense."

He had no response to that and simply took a drink from his glass.

"Were you going to eat something or did you come just to pester me?"

"Both," he admitted.

IN

He stayed around after closing time with Sora straddling him.

Her friend Karen shooed Sora out of the kitchen and shooed the other servers out the back.

Her arms loosely wrapped around his neck as her head lazily tilted to the side as his love bites traveled down.

"I should be cleaning." She let out a breathy sound as he sucked her now exposed shoulder.

"I'll leave a generous tip."

Her eyes widened in shock. No longer in a languid, sultry mood she sharply pulled his hair at the suggestion. "Don't you ever use that sentence in this context again."

He gave a throaty laugh. "That was not my intention, I assure you."

"Doesn't matter if that wasn't what you meant," her face burned in agitation and embarrassment, "that's what it _sounded _like!"

"I won't say it again," he murmured as his hands soothingly ran along her sides, "I apologize for the uncomfortable statement."

She settled down, bringing her face over to his and placing quick kisses on his lips.

"Sorry," she mumbled, getting caught up in the feeling of kissing him, "it just sounded offensive."

He murmured something back, but the feeling of her lips and soft body took precedence over his words. They kissed a few more times and then she pulled away to speak.

"We should go; Karen needs to lock up the front door."

IN

When he parked the car, this time she unbuckled her seat belt and leaned forward to touch his hand on the steering wheel.

"Could we have another date?"

When he stayed quiet for a few seconds too long, she took it as reluctance.

"I understand if you're not comfortable with it, but I just thought I'd ask." She gave a weak laugh and then withdrew her hand from his.

His hand came forward and lightly grabbed her arm before she opened the car door.

"When would you like it?"

Her lips formed a smile. "This weekend, if possible. I know that our performing schedules are tight around this time but," she gave a shrug, "I don't mind a late dinner."

"After Friday's last show?"

She grinned. "That works for me."

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	65. Chapter 65

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The last showing for Friday couldn't end fast enough.

Sora was skating around the ice with barely contained energy. _Come on. Just bite Mina already and then we can go._

She had a feeling that Leon was taking his sweet time on purpose as he swooped around on the swings with his blood red cape fluttering behind him. The smirk on his face just made her want to yell at him from the ground level.

Mina did her special spin; Dracula caught her.

_Finally!_

She dramatically posed with the other bats as Dracula was about to make Mina his damned wife. His hand moved one pigtail and then in an unnecessary move, he uncovered the other shoulder that was facing _away_ from the audience.

Sora's eye twitched as he spared a flash of fangs to the audience in a wicked smirk.

He was holding out the suspense quite frequently.

_If Leon's trying to get me frustrated with waiting and wanting to jump him as soon as the show ends…_Sora blinked at the thought, not realizing how much she wanted to get on with their date._ Well, he's doing a pretty good job…_

The music swelled as Mina cried out. The audience roared for the final break in tension with deafening force; Sora could feel the sounds vibrate through the ice.

_Lots of vampire fans, I guess._

May and Leon took their bows.

Sora shook her head at him as his eyes sought out hers quite readily and he flashed her a sultry smirk full of teeth. His action sent a thrumming sensation through her veins; she was glad she was still in her position with one knee down on the ice or else she was sure she would have swooned a little, as embarrassing as it sounded and completely out of her control.

Even so, she still felt a little weak in the knees as they lightly trembled from his gaze.

_The flirt…_

IN

He was in the middle of undressing when a knock sounded on his dressing room door.

With a casual pace, he finished hanging his cape and top vestments before going over and opening the door, knowing that he was only wearing his black tank undershirt and his pants.

Sora was at his door still in costume.

He withheld a smirk as her brown eyes widened at the sight of his state of undress and then an attractive flush appeared on her face, making him inwardly preen at the attention.

"Can I help you?"

She shivered at the lidded gaze and the purr underlining his voice as he spoke. When she continued to stay silent, his hand came up and ran through some of his hair, allowing her to see that he still wore the silver crosses on his earlobes.

The teasing throughout the day, the drawn out suspense of the show, and now his little acts of seductions with his black tank showing the powerful arms and broad shoulders that the cape and vestments hid was proving to be too much for her.

With a whimper, she sprang in one motion.

His hands caught her as her legs went around his waist and her hands roughly gripped the back of his head for a lightning fast kiss that demanded his attention _right now_ and left no room for arguments.

Mouths deliciously occupied, he stepped back into his dressing room, closed the door with his foot, and he set her down on the table in front of his mirror so that his hands were free to roam where they would.

She kept control of the kiss as she surged up to deepen it; all the while her hands went along his neck and upper shoulders.

The cords of muscle underneath her hands excited her, knowing that he, with all his physical strength, was touching her with passion rather than with force. He had the ability to take what he wanted, and yet, the fact that he let her come to him, drew her in instead of dominating her, let her take control of the desire going through both of them rather than subjecting her to only _his _desires made her want him even more.

He took the time to allow her desires to come on their own and develop.

She was not certain if anyone else would have allowed for that, instead finding it easier to bow down to their own yearnings and push them onto her when she was not ready to face such intensity.

It was a consideration she had not noticed until now.

_I called him a hunter, but I had not known that there was more to that underneath the pursuit._

Of course, she could be wrong. She was well aware of that, seeing as much of his history was unknown to her, but she felt like she could trust that judgment, given their interactions thus far.

His calloused hands cupped her face in a light grip. She felt him exhale through his nose as she eased the kiss to something softer and simpler, but not less meaningful. He angled his mouth a little and she kept her lips parted as he continued to taste her, having not gotten enough of her to last him through their dinner.

She brushed back slowly, allowing him to lead and to be the one to break away.

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	66. Chapter 66

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With a sigh, he disconnected from her mouth.

"Not that I didn't enjoy this," he rumbled with some amusement, "but was there something you needed to see me about?"

The lingering desire made her light headed. "Yeah…" she slowly said as she recalled what it was. "I wanted to know when you wanted to meet up." With a half grin, she added, "I gave you my number, but I forgot to get yours."

"Do you have paper?"

"Erm, no," she said when he picked up the pen behind her on the table, "but you can just call me and then I'd—"

She eeped as he pulled up her costume to reveal her stomach. "What are you—hee! Heh heh heeh!" She twitched as the pen tickled her as he wrote his number on her belly.

"It's upside down for you to see," he said as his fingers touched her side and then covered her stomach.

"Now who's the juvenile one?"

He gave her a half smirk. "Clever," he corrected, "mine's hidden so only you will see it."

Her fingers played with one of his earrings. "I could probably make a lot of money selling your number."

"You wouldn't dare," he rumbled out. He nipped her lips and then gave them a slow brush of his own lips. "I'd be most displeased."

She lightly laughed. "We could split the earnings."

His lips went along her cheek and over to her ear. "Shouldn't I get all of the earnings seeing as it is my number?"

"Nope! I need a consultation fee since it was my idea."

He was tempted to roll his eyes at the direction the conversation was heading. "Do you have your change of clothes in your dressing room?"

"Yeah, I thought it would be better than needing to go back to my dorm."

"Go get dressed then. I'll come by in forty."

"Fifty," she playfully said.

He shook his head at her teasing. "Forty five and not a second more."

"Done!" she crowed. She pecked his cheek and then hopped off of the table.

IN

At the designated time, Leon strode over in a white dress shirt with his black coat left open. Having showered in the locker room before dressing, his long hair looked a few tones darker than usual.

He passed by a few performers leaving the dressing room area.

Taking a look at his wrist watch, he slowed down in order to give her more time.

By the time he got to the door, he had given her three extra minutes before knocking. He heard her squeak inside and then some rummaging. He casually placed a hand in his pocket as he waited.

The door opened and she stood in a rich violet short dress that, again, like the black dress, clung to her curves but the rippling effect along the sides spread across the dress to create thin waves along her body. Because of the later time for the date, she had long sleeves that sort of poofed at the wrists.

Her shoulder bag with her stuff from earlier was in one hand and her beige coat draped off of her forearm, the color matching her heels.

He saw the lighter make-up around the eyes and the light lipstick. While the smoky effect of her last eye make-up had been sultry, he felt like what she had on was more in line with her personality.

"I like the color," he murmured as he touched her shoulder.

She smiled and then shivered when his fingers trailed up her neck and then along the curve of her ear.

"So do I."

IN

It was a little past eight o'clock when they arrived at the restaurant.

Leon had offered his arm instead of resting his hand along her back. The sour turn of events from their last date was still in his mind and he was determined to not let that happen again. So far, nothing mimicked the disaster from three weeks ago.

While he wasn't quite certain what exactly had set her off from the last date, he knew it revolved around May which probably led Sora to believe that he did not have an actual interest in her.

When the waiter went ahead to pull out a chair, Sora slipped her arm from Leon's and sat down.

Leon shrugged his coat off and after draping it over the back of his chair, he smoothly took a seat. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness when she had her menu open, but the curious expression on her face as she read the food items had him calming back down.

She looked up at him to ask what he was getting when she noticed that he was looking at her.

She blinked as she noticed that his body relaxed with her eyes on him. _Is he tense because of last time? _She wouldn't blame him; she must have blindsided him with her actions and words when he had been expecting a romantic evening.

She inwardly sighed at the mess she made.

_And all over a misunderstanding._ She didn't know what Lauren and Michelle saw, but Leon didn't act like his meal with May had been particularly romantic. _Maybe I'll find out later, but for now…_

Her hand reached over to grasp his.

He looked at the slender fingers touching him.

She bit her bottom lip. They had both said some very unflattering things to one another. She was tempted to ask him if he still stood by what he said about her and her friends, but she was a little afraid to know his answer.

He was not one for shying away from saying his thoughts.

The waiter came; she pulled her hand away from his in order to hold her menu. She pushed her thoughts aside for the moment.

IN

Leon took a sip of his wine—a white wine for the sake of not having any déjà vu moments occur—as he looked over at his date.

Her fingers traced the lettering of her closed menu as her eyes watched the motion. He couldn't help but recall the soft touch those fingers had at times and then the tight grip of his hair when she got lost in their kisses or love bites.

She was sweet and passionate; full of spirit and fiery impulses.

In that moment, he wondered what sort of lover she would be.

"Leon," she started in a quiet voice. His eyes refocused upon hearing her call his name. "I just—the things I said to you last time and walking out on you—" she looked up at him, even though the action allowed him to see the shame in her eyes, "I shouldn't have done that. It was harsh…I…was harsh…"

Her head gave a little bow. "I'm sorry, though I know my words may not amount to much."

He was silently looking at her, taking in the lowered eyes that were partially hidden behind her bangs. Some of her hair fell along her shoulder with her bow of the head.

"We both said unsavory statements," he quietly replied.

Her head came up from her bow and her eyes were filling with relief, burning off the residual shame that had stained her pretty eyes. She smiled at him, accepting the apology he had given within his reply.

He found her even more attractive in that moment.

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AN: Alternate phone number writing inspired by Royal blueKitsune's comment a while back. :P


	67. Chapter 67

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The rest of the dinner went smoothly with the awkwardness of their last date no longer hanging over their heads.

When they walked out of the restaurant to his car, she had been the one to press herself against him as she looped her arm around his offered one. Her head lightly rested against the side of his upper arm and he found the weight to be very pleasing.

While he drove, she played with the ends of his hair that had spilled over the divider of the seats.

The familiar action brought the smallest of smiles on his face.

He soon parked the car and turned to her. She was already facing him as her fingers further tangled into his hair.

"Would a dinner date on Sunday be too soon?"

"No," she said and then leaned up in her seat to kiss him.

SL

Sunday's date involved more flirtations and touching.

She wore a chocolate colored dress with a turquoise and tan wide belt. He wore a dark olive dress shirt with the top buttons undone.

He had his arm around her waist in their booth table when she turned to face him suddenly.

"How did you know which days I worked?" But before he responded, she quickly added in, "and the excuse of being a hunter won't work this time."

He gave her a half smirk. His face came to hers and his nose ran along her cheek.

"I asked one of your co-workers."

"Was it Karen?"

"I do not reveal my sources to anyone," he went up to her ear, his lips lightly brushing it, "especially not to you."

She shivered, liking his low, playful tone. "What if I asked nicely?"

"I'd rather you don't," he purred and then kissed the sensitive area behind her ear.

Her heart raced at his dark suggestion. Impulsively, she caught his lips, making sure to bite his bottom lip. "I think you like my temper a little too much."

"Your fire," he heatedly corrected as his hand along her jaw kept her in place so that he could return the gesture.

IN

After dinner and long after he had parked the car near the dorms, she still stayed inside.

Muffled moans sounded from within; she was on his lap on the driver's side of the car as they were in a passionate kiss. The skirt of her dress had ridden dangerously high, much to his delight as his hands searched for more skin. She moaned in his mouth, her hands beneath his shirt moving even more frantically as the feeling in her lower stomach intensified with the delicious burning touch of his hands and the heat of his mouth.

"Tuesday?" he managed to ask when her mouth disconnected from his and went to his neck. He was tempted to ask for Monday, but he didn't want to give the impression of impatience by asking for a date the day after the previous one.

She groaned in disappointment. "I have a new set of shifts this week." Her head pulled up from his neck to look at him. "Most of them are long, but Thursday's shift is short." She bit her bottom lip, wondering if it would be too forward to say what she wanted to, but seeing his steady gaze, she found herself saying it.

"I don't mind us eating in."

He let her lidded expression register in his mind. "My place or yours?"

She liked the slight huskiness to his voice. "I think yours would be better."

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	68. Chapter 68

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For the next two nights at the pizzeria, Sora did not see Leon there.

She thought it was peculiar, seeing as he had been showing up almost every night last week. He did come around closing time to pick her up and drop her off at the dorms, but they only had 15 or so minutes together. She'd thank him and give him a kiss, but he broke it off before it got heated.

_How weird._

Wednesday night, Karen caught Sora looking around the place as she went to pick up orders and greet guests. Karen laughed at the restless energy that seemed to radiate from her co-worker. There was a lull in business before the late dinner rush, so Karen made her way over to Sora.

"Are you looking for a certain tall someone?"

Sora eeped at the sudden presence of her friend. "Don't creep up on me!"

"Sorry," she said, but without much meaning behind it, "So? What's with your impatience?"

Sora looked around them and then she lowered her voice to tell Karen about Leon's behavior. The teen hmmed and nodded. When Sora finished talking, ending with the little tidbit about their next date for Thursday, Karen gave a wide grin.

"Sounds like he's adding in some suspense. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' or something along those lines."

Sora blinked and then lightly slapped her forehead. _Of course._

He had done it before with their Friday date.

Karen mischievously nudged Sora with her elbow. "You two have something special planned, eh?"

Sora's cheeks tinted a little. Karen needed no other answer.

IN

All Thursday, the two did not run into each other.

Sora copied Leon's move and decided to suspend their meetings until for tonight. As a result, she grew a little nervous but was filled with a new sort of excitement for the possibilities of the unknown things to come.

She was giddy and she could not stop the feeling.

IN

Leon buttoned up his grey dress shirt with thin silver stripes.

When he wore another grey shirt, he had noticed that Sora stared at him repeatedly when he wore it, even though she had not been talking to him at the time. Seeing as he wanted her attention on him, a grey dress shirt seemed to be the best idea.

As usual, he left the top buttons undone and then buttoned the cuffs.

It had been rather hard for him to not see her, having wanted to build up the anticipation for tonight. He hoped he had not misread the building tension between them and had not misunderstood her meaning by suggesting a night in at his place. That said, if he had and she was not ready, he would not push for it.

Though, he knew it would be the greatest restraint he would have to do.

Finished with the cuffs, he looked up to catch his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His usually light grey eyes looked a few shades darker as his thoughts made him burn even more in desire for her.

_It's curious how someone as positive as her can affect me in such a manner._

He was not easy to move in sympathy; his blasé mask did not come down often, yet he had subconsciously done it a few times with her. He had even laughed a few times, which was something he could not recall doing in the longest of times.

His phone alarm went off in his room, snapping him out of his thoughts.

It was time.

IN

Quickly changing in the pizzeria bathroom, Sora twisted her hair up and clipped it with a black flower shaped clip. She looked over her eyeliner work and made sure that she hadn't been sloppy in doing it.

Her phone sounded off; she eeped.

The sound echoed in the bathroom. _Good thing I'm the only one in here._

That would have been a little embarrassing. She dug her phone out of her bag and turned off her alarm. _Leon should be here soon._ She put the phone back in along with her little make-up bag. Then, after ruffling the loose hair at the top of the hair twist, she took a breath in and walked out.

IN

Leon stood by the entrance of the pizzeria as he waited for Sora. Karen stopped by to see if he wanted any food from there to go.

"I have pre-ordered two salmon risotto dinners along with a tiramisu for pick up."

The teen nodded her head in approval of his preplanning. "Alright, let me go check on it."

She walked away.

Soon, he saw Sora coming over to him in a very light blush short dress with only one long sleeve, leaving her other shoulder bare to his perusal. A thin black belt matched her heels and the black clip in her hair. He liked the way the material of the skirt easily swished with her steps, constantly keeping his attention on her.

She stopped in front of him, her eyes looking over his attire.

When she made her way to his eyes, she bashfully ducked her head a little with a rosy color on her cheeks. He had not seen her do something like that and he found her slight shyness to be strangely endearing.

"You look good," she said.

_And there's her spark._ He slipped a hand into his pocket. "You look lovely."

Her cheeks deepened in color. He wanted to kiss her right then and there, but Karen came over with their food, causing him to pay for the order instead of indulging in her lips.

"I don't mind chipping in," she said next to him.

"It is not an issue." When he saw the light frown on her face, he added, "You will be my guest tonight; therefore, it is my part as host to feed you."

The answer seemed to have mollified her somewhat.

"Let me at least take the dessert box."

He relented. "As long as you don't peek," he said with a tease.

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	69. Chapter 69

AN: So, I'm assuming that if you're still reading this story, you are aware that there are more of the older teen age range/more romantically heavy scenes coming...if not, now you do and that was my warning. XP

I was nice and kept it all in one chapter.

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His apartment was pretty normal, which surprised her for some bizarre reason.

It had a couch, a coffee table, tv, a small dining table and three chairs, the fourth one being over by the desk in the corner near the living area with the small bookshelf.

They sat at the table with their salmon dinners.

Instead of being across from her, he sat in the chair diagonal to her. They shared some light conversation as they ate, though their hands strayed to touch an arm or bump into each other for some contact. He found her shared desire for touch an indicator that he was not misreading her signals. Though, he decided to get a better feel of their situation before he jumped to any conclusions.

_Just in case…_

"So before coming here, did you always live in France?"

"No," he said, his fingers lightly trailing up her bare arm, "I moved from place to place once my reputation grew."

Her red lashes fluttered a little at the sensation. "It must have been exciting."

His fingers paused along her shoulder. "At times, yes. Otherwise, it was a bit tiring after the initial novelty of traveling throughout the continent." He noted that she had finished most of her meal. "Would you like dessert now?"

She pushed her plate aside so she could put her forearms on the table. "I'd rather wait a little."

He hmmed, gently stretching her arm towards him. "What about you? Was Japan the only country you lived in before now?"

"Y-Yes," she stammered a little as his fingers ran up and down the soft underside of her arm, "But I had traveled to America once before when I was very young. I had seen _Alice in Wonderland_ at the Kaleido Stage and became obsessed with the stage ever since."

He faintly recalled her saying something to him about the kids in the audience being vital to the stage. _Perhaps this is what she meant._ If she had not seen that show, she wouldn't have left Japan to live here, meaning he would not have met her. He might have come to this stage regardless, but without Sora around.

The idea sounded so bleak.

"It's strange," he idly murmured, "how fleeting moments heavily impact life."

She couldn't ponder on his musing for too long what with the little thrills running up her arm from the motions of his fingers.

IN

The lights had been lowered and they took their dessert to the living room.

Sora was halfway through her tiramisu when she had to stifle a giggle when Leon had a smidgen of the dessert on his face.

"You got some on you."

She lifted her napkin up to get it when, with a small grin on his face, Leon brought his face to hers and proceeded to rub the chocolate and creamy substance onto her cheek. She let out a sound of surprise at the playful action.

When he released her, she grinned and with a quick swipe of her finger, she gathered more of the sweet and smeared it on his face.

His eyes widened a little at the action, but he was not slow in retaliating.

He swooped down on her, eliciting a happy shriek from his more than willing victim. She laughed as he rubbed his face against hers again, not minding that he had her pinned against the couch cushions. When his face came up a little, the playful glint in his eyes made her warm. She leaned up and licked some of the cream from his cheek.

"You missed the rest," he lowly rumbled out.

"You missed all of it," she playfully quipped, offering her cheek to him.

His tongue came out in a slow swipe. "How careless of me."

She placed her arms over his shoulders, enjoying the warm, wet feeling of him cleaning her off. After a few seconds more, she was no longer content to be still and so she turned her head and darted her tongue out in quick little swipes to get the cream on his face.

Inevitably, their mouths crossed one another, and they paused in the cleaning for a kiss every so often. Even when the cream was gone, they continued to lick and suck each other's skin in places that were in no way touched with the dessert.

That sultry heat, that delicious tension that had been forming between them fell upon them with a new force.

She caught his mouth in a kiss and he deepened it immediately, needing her kiss like a man needed water to drink or air in his lungs. He pressed her against the cushion, trying to get the contact that his body longed for and the taste of her lips that he was so fond of.

She writhed beneath him, mewing and moaning at the desire she could practically taste in his mouth. She burned with it, wanting more of him with an intensity that nearly blinded her.

"Leon."

He groaned, loving the yearning that came out along with his name. Her hands cradled his face as his mouth went along her exposed neck and shoulder. She bit her bottom lips as another thrill shot through her body, licking awake her own desire, fueled by his.

"I want my lesson," she finally let out, her craving for the unknown getting the better of her.

His eyes came up to hers, burning and smothering with the desire to teach it to her.

IN

His bedroom was lit with the light of the moon outside.

He had pulled the curtains aside, wanting to see her face and the flitting emotions in her eyes.

Her dress was draped over the arm of a chair in his room, her black pumps on the carpet beneath the dress and her hair clip on the dresser. He had watched with relish as her hair came undone and some wild strands curved towards her cheeks.

His dress shirt and pants were somewhere on the floor, he had not cared where they fell.

On the bed, the moon highlighted his long hair against his dark sheets. His bare back muscles were defined with the light and shadow, where two petite hands were clenching his shoulder blades. Her nails dug into his skin, creating a little sting along with his pleasure.

His forehead rested along her breast bone, feeling the rapid pounding of her heart and hearing the halting breaths she took as her body adjusted to his intrusion.

His teeth had been tightly gritted as he allowed her some time. Gradually, the initial overwhelming haze cleared his mind somewhat as she adjusted and his jaw loosened from the gritting. Her breathing began to smooth out; he shifted a little to see if she was ok now.

A half whimper spilled from her lips.

He halted, thinking that it was from pain.

His head lifted from her chest to see her face. Just as he saw the rekindling pleasure in her lidded eyes, she lifted her hips a little, causing him to suddenly groan and drop his forehead onto hers.

Another whimper came out, the needy little sound grazing his ears as if her fingers had done the touching.

She felt the shiver that traveled down his back.

Her nails had released his flesh, but with the growing coil of tension in her lower stomach from the movements of his hips made her fingers dig back into his back, this time not because of the discomfort, but because of the sensual friction and her attempt to keep him close to her.

Her back suddenly arched, she mewled long and loud as the rhythm changed.

The soft plushness of her chest against his harder chest released a throaty sound of approval from him. His hands wrapped her legs around his waist and she clung onto him, her hips meeting his and following his pace in a new boldness that came after her initial hesitance from not knowing what to do.

He heatedly rumbled something out in French. She did not understand it, but she did hear her name somewhere in there and the following groan of pleasure from him made her skin tingle from the sound and the sudden state of hyper sensitivity that her nerves were in.

He looked at her face, taking in the way her red hair lit by the moonlight stood out against his midnight sheets. With a hunger for her lips, he kissed her and it didn't take him any convincing for her lips to open and let him plunder her mouth.

She let him for a while, reveling in the electric havoc he was continuing with his hips and the re-introduced heat of his tongue, but she was never one to be a passive participant, no matter how little knowledge or experience she had. Her tongue pressed back onto his and he heatedly added more pressure to his brush.

They moaned, encouraging the other for more contact, more friction, more heat, more-more-more…

His dream version of her had been stunning; the real one was even more glorious in her passion. Her preconceptions of this lesson didn't compare to the actuality of it.

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	70. Chapter 70

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She was still sleeping on her back when he came out of his shower.

Dressed in his usual black slacks and dark collared top, he was drying his hair with a towel when he turned to look at her form. The covers did not reach all the way up, but still managed to stay over most of her chest. Her red hair flared against the pillow and her bangs still clung to her forehead from last night.

He hung the damp towel on the back of the chair, taking care that it did not touch her dress and then walked over to sit near her on the bed. He could see that her skin shone a little as the early morning light came in from the window; the light sweat their activity created was no doubt the cause of the shine from the sun.

He could not decide if he preferred seeing her under the moonlight or the sun's rays.

His light brush on her arm brought her out of sleep's strong hold.

The following kisses along her shoulder and neck had her squirming a little and her eyes groggily opening. Leon placed a few more kisses along her collarbone as she let the drowsiness of sleep leave her head.

"Morning," he murmured.

She gave a lazy blink, her hand slowly coming up to touch his cheek. "G' morning."

The sleepy sight she made along with the soft touch of her hand on his face made him lean forward to her lips. She hummed appreciatively, her hand moving around his neck.

"What time is it?" she idly asked.

"6" he said, only willing to break away from her mouth to say one syllable.

Her arm around him felt the damp coolness of his hair. "You showered already?"

He gave her a sultry smirk against her mouth. "I don't mind showering again."

Her cheeks reddened. "That's not what I was thinking about."

His kiss prevented her from elaborating. She gave a little pout to which he took as a chance to draw her bottom lip in. Her eyes half closed at his slow attack of teeth and soothing tongue. His hand slipped under the covers to touch her skin, reminding her of her state of undress.

Her body was a little sore, but the flickering desire inside was too persuasive for her to ignore. However, the stickiness of her skin and hair made her think over her original thought. With a sigh, she pulled away from his mouth.

"I need to shower." When he made to grab her and take her there himself, she flushed even more, quickly adding in, "alone!"

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When she came out of the bathroom in his long spare t-shirt, Leon was not in the bedroom.

She did note that he had changed the sheets.

Her bare feet felt the carpet as she walked over to the living area. His back was facing her as he sat on the couch reading something. She quietly crept closer to him, hoping to catch him off guard. With a grin to herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind the couch.

"Boo!"

No sooner had she said that did she eep out loud as he stood up, making her tighten her hold on him as she dangled in the air. Effortlessly, he brought her legs over to the front of the couch and set her to sit on the top of the back cushion.

She blinked as she was now looking at his face rather than the back of his head.

He kneeled on the couch, settling himself between her legs.

The action made her heart skip and her lower stomach squirm, recalling the sight of him being above her in the moonlight as he moved his lower body against hers. She could almost feel the sensation again and his presence there now made her remember the firmness of his torso and the warm feeling of his bare back beneath her hands.

"You're quite playful this morning," he lowly said, watching as her eyes darkened with desire. His own eyes lidded as she leaned forward to kiss him, but he interrupted the kiss as he whispered to her. "Would you like to release all of that energy?"

She swallowed then, though she did not bother denying his question. "Are you offering?"

He did not verbally respond to that; he did not think he had to. His hands felt her thighs and then went up the shirt she was borrowing from him. She shuddered at the warm hands along her back and her lips were not foiled from meeting his in an open mouthed kiss.

The searing kiss reminded them of last night and their bodies entwined under the moonlight. Their breaths were short and mingled with the other's as they kissed and their lower bodies met again and again until that delicious tension inside finally broke and washed over them.

Her legs wrapped around him, wanting to feel that lingering rapture again.

She did not protest when he lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom.

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	71. Chapter 71

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Mia didn't know what to make of her friend.

When Sora came back from New York, she was depressed. Her performing wasn't lively at all; she just meshed with the other bats when before, there was a little spark of her movements that made her stand out. A week later, she had been improving a little, but not by much.

Now though, Sora's behavior was strange. It wasn't necessarily bad, but ever since last Friday, the teen's been in la-la-land or something.

Mia watched her friend grab the pitcher of orange juice and pour some in her clear cup. Then, the redhead went down the drinks line of the cafeteria, Mia right behind. Absentmindedly, Sora undid the top for the milk and sloshed the white substance into her cup of orange juice. When it spilled over, Sora squeaked and finally noticed what she was doing.

_Something's definitely up with her._

And Mia was determined to find out.

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Sora felt the happiest since…well, in a very long time if she stopped to think about it.

One thing after another had been occurring even before Layla's injury and Leon and May's arrivals to the stage. _I guess things started to go wrong around the time Yuri was acting out against Kalos._ Those times had been tough, but she had been able to perform on smaller stages with her friends.

What with May, the _Dracula_ show, and then the drama in New York, there was finally-finally!- a lull in the bad situations.

Her eyes spotted Leon in the back, as usual, as she finished up her trampoline performance with Marion. Her cheeks tinted in memory of Thursday night and then their activities on Friday morning.

The weekend had been busy, so they did not meet again, much to the dissatisfaction of both. Monday, she had to cancel their date to fill in for someone's closing shift. Then Tuesday, Leon and May had an interview to do after the last show, forcing Leon to call Sora for a rain check.

They have a tentative date for Wednesday, which was tonight.

_Hopefully it's still doable._ She had managed to swap someone for a shorter night shift.

Marion and Sora grabbed hands as they waved and did a little curtsey together. She looked around as she waved again, meeting Leon's gaze. He looked the most relaxed she's seen him, making her take that as a sign that their date was still good to go.

The audience started leaving; Marion and Sora got off the small stage.

"You're getting better, Marion!"

The young girl beamed. "I've been practicing regularly."

Sora pulled her shoulder bag from the little cubbyhole shelving Marion's father put in for them. "Well it's working and it shows."

Marion laughed and then ran off when her father showed up for a late lunch. Sora unclipped the hair piece from her hair and shrugged her light jacket on. She was rounding the front of the stage, seeing Leon still there and waiting for her. She smiled and did not even pass the first step in the aisle when Ken called out to her.

She abruptly broke eye contact with Leon. "Ah, yes Ken?"

"Great job out there, for starters," he started with a rub to the back of the head. "Your performances have their energy back."

She blinked at the praise. "Oh, well thanks!"

His eyes were intently looking at her, giving her the impression that he wanted to say something big and meaningful. She swallowed a little, hoping she can shrug it off somehow.

"Sora, you really do know how to bounce back up from anything," his hand slipped away from rubbing his neck, "I think that's really incredible. Not many people can do that, you know?"

She laughed a little. "Well, my friends help with that, I'm sure."

His face deflated a bit as she easily misread the complement. "That's not—"

The sound of her perky ringtone disrupted Ken. She gave him a hasty "sorry" and then rummaged for her cell phone in her bag.

"Hello?"

_"Are you trying to make me envious?"_

Her eyes widened as Leon's smooth voice came from her phone. She quickly looked over to see if Ken could hear or recognize the voice, but he wasn't even looking at her.

"That would be a stupid plan," she said in a lower tone of voice. Her eyes darted over to where Leon usually stood only to find it empty. _So he moved away in order to call. _The question she had was whether he called in order to help or to make things more difficult for her.

_"Agreed," _he said with a rumbling chuckle.

"Then why did you suggest it?"

_"…Because it's working."_

Her jaw dropped a little, but he spoke before she could gather herself to reply.

_"I'll see you tonight." _Then, there was silence.

She hung up the phone in a daze. _He's…jealous?_

He had to be teasing her.

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AN: Just had to do it, seeing as Ken's phone call interrupted a moment between Sora and Leon. XP


	72. Chapter 72

AN: Here's another chapter since this story just reached a little over 5,000 views. Wow! Thanks for continuing to read :) and another smile for those who review, even if it's just asking me for another chapter soon! :)

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Her shift at the pizzeria was coming to an end.

Karen merely had to call out to her and the grin on the teen's face let Sora know that Leon was there, no doubt asking for her.

She walked over to his usual booth in the corner with his cup of water and lemon slice.

After putting it down, she grabbed her notepad and pen in order for appearances' sake. However, before she could ask him what he wanted, he began to speak while looking at the menu.

"I'll have two chicken alfredo dinners," his eyes slid over to hers and with a half smirk, he finished, "with you to go."

Her face flushed and she was momentarily torn between answering flirtatiously or in her usual no-nonsense-tone when he did something that was not appropriate between a server and a guest, regardless of their knowing each other.

"Well," she started, her initial response coming out, "what the customer wants, the customer gets."

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The bed creaked in time with their movements.

She was beneath him as her legs and arms wrapped around him. They were locked in an intimate kiss and she more than willingly followed the pace he set for their lovemaking. She moaned in deep, mindless pleasure, a sound soon echoed by him as his hips pushed her into the mattress and she was learning to roll her hips into his for a more satisfying friction and experience.

The new lesson was proving to be endless in its material to learn.

He was more than fine with that.

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From under the blanket, he laid half on top of her as they caught their breath.

When he made to move, her hands prevented him from doing so. "Stay," she lightly panted out, her bangs clinging to her face and forehead. "I," she halted as she blushed, not that it was truly visible beyond her already flushed body, "I like the weight."

He looked at her as he attempted to calm his pulse.

She felt him move and then she squeaked when he laid completely on top of her.

"Not your whole weight!"

He chuckled and she could feel the sound. She bit her lower lip at the thrilling vibrations it made against her body. He moved again, mostly off of her but kept an arm around her.

"Better?"

"Yes, Mr. Literal." She gave him a half grin. "I think someone needs to lay off the pizzas and pasta."

He softly scoffed. "Surely you're not suggesting I am out of shape."

She nipped his underjaw. "Ever heard the phrase, 'the truth hurts sometimes'?"

"I'm from Europe, not outer space," came his flat response.

She giggled from her spot under his chin. "Could have fooled me."

He rolled onto his back, bringing her along and half on top of him. She owlishly blinked at the change, but did not complain about it. From the new position, she could see his whole face instead of only a part of it. Even then, his face was half in shadow as the moon was not as full as last week.

She folded an arm on his chest and propped her chin on it.

"Were you joking about being jealous when I was talking with Ken earlier today?"

His eyes half opened from his light doze. "…Mostly," he admitted.

He hated lies, especially the ones he told himself. He tried to make an effort not to fool himself, but sometimes strong emotions covered the truth. He looked at her tilted head as she took in what he told her. _I tried to tell myself that I didn't want her, didn't crave for her attention and love._ That, of course, started in the beginning of their acquaintance and then re-emerged around the time when she had called him heartless and a manipulator. His pride didn't want to acknowledge that she was _still_ on his mind. He managed to overcome that, but he was sure that his pride will still cause him trouble in the future.

"You don't need to be," she softly said, "I wouldn't want you to be jealous, if you somehow concluded that I would."

He watched, with growing appreciation for her, as her slender fingers reached out and lightly ran along the side of his face.

"Ken's just a friend, nothing more."

He was silent for a few moments. She laid her head against her arm and closed her eyes.

"If I had the energy," she heard him quietly say, "I'd make love to you again."

Her eyes flew open and her head shot up. "I'm tired," she said with an underlining whine and hint of incredibility.

He threw his head back and laughed. She was entranced by the deep, throaty sound. It didn't have a rusty quality to it like the last time, not that she hadn't liked it then, but this newer sound was fresher, stronger, and a crisper sound without a piece of cynicism to it.

"If I had the energy," he repeated with humor. "Meaning I _do not_ at the current moment."

Her head fell back down against him with the reassurance that she'd get some sleep tonight. She pulled the blanket up some more and then rested her arm along his torso.

"…So you do see us as, erm, making love?"

His eyes stayed closed. "Yes," he started, but ended with a wiry question of, "unless you would prefer another term?"

"No," she quickly said, "I like that term."

He chuckled and his arm came around her. His hand stroking her side and back lulled her into a deep sleep. He soon followed as her soft body and even breathing calmed and soothed him.

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AN: I'm an incurable romantic! :P


	73. Chapter 73

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The next day, Kalos had a cast meeting in one of the bigger practice rooms.

"Next week will be the last showings of _Dracula._"

There was a murmur in the crowd. Sora discretely looked over at Leon standing by the wall. He didn't seem surprised by the news; however, there was a strange, nostalgic look on his face that Sora couldn't quite figure out.

His eyes slanted towards her. She looked back at Kalos, not wanting Leon to know that she had seen the expression on his face, especially since he had the impassive mask back on.

_Could it be_, she suddenly recalled the time when Kalos had been talking to Leon backstage, _that the ending of Dracula is related to whatever Kalos told Leon weeks before?_

She wasn't sure if Leon would be upset if she asked him about it.

"…in the meeting. For now, keep practicing and going to your lessons. You're dismissed."

Sora turned to go, knowing that Kalos usually had some extra things to say to the leads.

"Sora," Kalos neutrally called out, "stay behind."

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They had reconvened to Kalos' office, further surprising Sora.

Leon was leaning against a wall while Sora and May stood in front of Kalos' desk.

"I can't give out the details yet until I know for sure," Kalos enigmatically said, "but I thought it would be wise for me to inform you two to make sure you're in shape." Kalos leaned back into his chair. "For the next event to come will only involve one of you."

"Boss?" Sora said, his ambiguous words sending warning bells in her head rather than excitement. "What sort of event?"

"It's a competition of course!" May interrupted. She confidently placed her hands on her hips and declared, "And I'm still going to win."

"For the most part it is," Kalos agreed. The man's eyes briefly settled on Leon's form and then returned to the two teens in front of him. "But it's a competition unlike any either of you have encountered thus far."

Both Sora and May did not miss Kalos' look towards Leon.

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Kalos had dismissed them both. Leon stayed behind.

Unfortunately for Sora, May and her were going back to the dorms, so they were stuck walking down the same hallway to get out of the office section of the Kaleido Stage.

"It's probably a duo competition," May said.

"Yeah," Sora said, having come to the same conclusions as May.

When they got to the elevators, Sora pushed the down button. The two waited in silence.

Soon, the elevator dinged and the metal doors opened up.

"You don't stand a chance," May snidely said. Sora frowned as the Chinese acrobat got into the elevator. She stubbornly didn't get on, instead looking at the smug face of May.

"Don't be so sure of that," Sora bit out before the doors closed and the elevator took May down.

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Leon came down the hall to the elevators.

He was surprised to see Sora still there, waiting in the empty space before the metal doors.

"I didn't want to go down with May," she sheepishly explained when a silver brow rose up. He slightly shook his head at her, which brought a pout on her face. "Don't give me that, I highly doubt _you've _never had a rival before."

The amusement on his face faded. "You are correct."

She blinked at the change of mood. The elevator doors opened and they walked into it. He pushed the ground floor button. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, wondering what to say.

"I'll have to give my weeks' notice for the pizzeria."

He looked over at her. "I believe it's supposed to be _two_ weeks' notice."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh shoot."

Some humor came into his eyes then. She turned to him a little frantically.

"They'll be ok with at least a weeks' notice, right? Technically speaking, it'll be a little _over_ one weeks' notice if I tell them tonight. I think they like me, so maybe it won't go over so badly?"

The back of his hand came up to caress her cheek. "It will be fine."

Her lips parted a little at the comforting gesture.

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival to the ground level.

She walked out first, but lingered for him to come out. "Thank you," she said. His hand tilted her face up, kissing her deeply. He pulled away, but she made it last longer by going on her tiptoes. Her arms hung over his shoulders and his hands held her by the waist.

"Stay with me tonight?" he asked with his eyes closed and their foreheads touching.

She was a little startled by the question. _He actually asked me without some sort of seduction and/or flirtation going on. And definitely no hidden innuendoes. _

There was something weighing heavily on him.

"Ok," she murmured, placing a light kiss on his lips.

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AN: You thought I forgot about the festival huh?


	74. Chapter 74

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The following days left a pretty quiet Leon, which made for calmer evenings.

After her Monday shift, she stayed over again.

She was surprised by his somewhat solemn mood, not that it meant he didn't touch her. If anything, there was _more _contact during dinner; she was practically on his lap as they ate some takeout not from the pizzeria.

The last time she stayed over, they had not made love. There was some kissing and caressing, but then he held her close to him in bed with a wistful expression and he soon fell asleep. She had not minded the lack of physical activity.

The cuddling was quite nice, though it did make her a little worried about him.

_Is the competition that bad?_

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Tuesday morning, she awoke first, finding his face buried in her hair.

They were on their sides, her back to his chest as his arm was draped over her waist. Idly, her hand came up and stroked his arm, feeling the firmness of muscle and hard work in the limb.

_I wonder how long he's been a performer._

He knew her career history thanks to the Kaleido Stage website, but she barely knew anything about his. _I should look it up on Mia's laptop some time._ She was quite curious what she'd find.

He stirred behind her. She stopped moving her hand.

"Did I wake you up?"

He shook his head against the pillow. "No, I was starting to awaken before you touched me."

She turned her head towards him. His bleary grey eyes blinked a few times and then noticed her looking over. He liked how his shirt looked on her as the bigger size on her smaller frame made the collar reveal some of her shoulder.

He kissed the revealed skin and then kissed her lips when she shifted a little more towards him. The arm along her waist went up along her body and cradled her head. She hummed into the deeper kiss and was a little disappointed when he pulled away too soon.

"I need to get you back," he said after looking at the clock on his nightstand.

She followed his previous glance at the clock and her eyes widened.

"It's that late?!"

He moved his arm out of the way as she kicked off the covers and rushed to the bathroom with her shoulder bag. He shook his head in amusement as his bathroom door closed none too gently.

"Just to clarify," came her muffled voice, "that was not a slamming door!"

His amusement ebbed a little. _It might be one in the future._

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Sora quickly pecked his lips and then shot out of his car.

She jogged over to the dorms and then quickly, but quietly, took the staircase to her floor. _We slept in longer than usual!_ She noticed a few girls walking down the hallway. She calmed herself and greeted them with a cheery "Good morning!"

She was going towards her room when she froze for a moment, spotting Mia in front of her door.

_What's she doing there?!_

They usually met up at the cafeteria. She cleared her throat and then called out a greeting to her friend.

Her friend's pigtails swished as she turned to Sora.

"Oh, I hadn't realized you were up already."

"Haha, yeah, I just couldn't sleep in anymore." _More like the opposite!_

Mia's eyes narrowed on something. "Sora, I think your shirt's on backwards...and inside out."

The redhead jumped a little, looking down at herself. Sure enough, the tag of her shirt was showing on the front. _How could I have missed that?!_

"Oh thanks! Haha!" Sora nervously rubbed her arm. "I guess I did need the lights on this morning!"

While Sora was laughing off the shirt issue, Mia spotted the sleeve of a shirt peeking out of Sora's shoulder bag. _Why would she need another shirt with her?_

An answer came to her, causing her blue-violet eyes to widen momentarily.

She quickly composed herself. "Ha-Haha! Yeah, I guess you did."

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After telling Sora she'd just meet her in the cafeteria, Mia quickly left the dorms, not knowing how long she could repress the reaction she had to Sora's appearance this morning.

Days ago, she had caught Leon and Sora kissing by the office building when she was coming by to pitch some new script ideas to the Boss. Of course, she had promptly left and went to tell Marion what she just saw, which the young girl had squealed and told her how she'd seen Leon talking with Sora after the Kids' Stage show a few times.

So she already knew that they were still interested in each other. She hadn't heard any new gossip about May and Leon, so she could only conclude that they stopped seeing each other.

Though, she didn't think she could tell Marion her new ideas.

_The absentminded behavior in the cafeteria, the sudden joy and energy on the stage, plus today's inside out and backwards shirt with the change of clothing in her bag…_

Her friend was getting pretty darn _close_ and _personal_ with a certain performer.

Mia let out a sound at the information. She quickly looked around the little park area and when she was satisfied to see the place empty, she let it out.

"She's _sleeping _at his _place_!"

The little sparrows in the area quickly flew out of the trees as the teen let out strange sounds.

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	75. Chapter 75

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Sora stretched her body out on the swing.

_Good thing there are multiple practice rooms with swings._ May would probably hog it all to herself if there was only one.

Both girls were following Kalos' advice and training whenever there was a break in between the shows. Sometimes Leon came in to watch her, but then he'd leave soon after coming. She didn't take his leaving as offensive; she actually liked that he stopped by, seeing as she had cut her time with him during the day in order to get ready.

No one was sure when Kalos would finally tell them what the competition was.

She was doing the splits upside down when the door to her practice room was opened. She smiled, thinking that Leon had come in again even though he had stopped by earlier.

She blinked when she looked down and found Ken staring at her.

The boy snapped himself out of his daze. "Uh, sorry for interrupting, but Kalos wants to see you."

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Seeing as she was still sweating, she left her sweat towel around her neck and entered Kalos' office with Ken close behind.

May and Leon were already inside, but the shimmering blonde hair of Layla's caught her attention.

Sora was about to smile and call out her name, however, she soon recalled their more recent interactions in New York and how the blonde had put Sora's feelings below the success of the play. _I know I'm not her partner anymore and productions come first before an individual, but that still hurt._

She hadn't expected that coldness at the time.

Sora's eyes drifted over to Leon and she felt herself cheering up a little.

"Is anyone going to explain why Miss Layla's here?" May said with some irritation. Kalos and Layla refused to say anything until everyone needed was present.

Kalos pushed his glasses up. "Two days ago, the invitations for the International Circus Festival were given via online; however, none of your names was on the list."

Sora blinked in confusion. Leon's eye at twitched at the name of the festival.

"So what? Who cares about some festival?" May huffed out.

"You should care," Layla stepped in with a stern voice, "the International Circus Festival invites only the most talented; the fact that none of you made it means that your skills are lacking."

That statement shut May up.

"Circus Festival," Ken repeated in thought, "Miss Layla, was that the competition you and Yuri performed at?"

Sora's eyes widened in recollection. _That's right! That's where the Golden Phoenix became legendary!_ She had forgotten that information, what with the other things that were going on in her life.

"Three years ago," Layla started, her eyes a little unfocused in memory, "Yuri and I had been invited to perform there." She slowly blinked and she was back into the present. "Because we won, I am able to give this," she held up a single envelope with a golden insignia on the back, "to Kalos."

"Layla's Phoenix tickets," Kalos picked up the conversation as Layla looked over the two girls, "will allow us to send representatives to the festival." Kalos folded his hands over the envelope Layla gave him, "Since the Kaleido Stage focuses on the trapeze, the maneuver showcased will be on that."

"Which means two people can go," Ken said as he realized what those words meant for the performers in the room.

Layla turned her focus over to the aloof man leaning against the pillar of the room. "You will be one of the partners; given that, you will be the one to choose who will be your partner." Layla's intense gaze fell on May and then on Sora. "Though," she said as she turned back to Leon, "I'm not positive which one would be better, based on their performances in New York."

Sora's cheeks burned with shame, but not because she was afraid of what Layla thought of her. No, this time, she was afraid what Leon would think, having just heard those words coming from her once mentor and role model.

"I'll _prove _myself!" May quickly said after shaking off the embarrassment from Layla's assessment, "I'll take any test, any _chance_ you throw at me and you'll see who's worthy to be your partner for the festival!"

Sora opened her mouth to claim something similar, however, Leon's quiet words made her pause.

"You are assuming I want to go."

Everyone turned to look at Leon, surprised at his statement.

"You…don't want to participate?" Ken ventured to ask, the shock clear on his face.

Given the way the man had been insistent on having May or Sora for a partner when he first arrived at the stage, Ken thought that the man was looking to compete somewhere and eager to showcase his skills.

Kalos stayed quiet, but was attentive to what was being said.

"No."

Layla narrowed her eyes on Leon. "I'm surprised Leon. I didn't take you for a coward."

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AN: AU and Canon are mixing! Oh no!


	76. Chapter 76

AN: _Insidious _has 100 reviews! Yay! As a reward, I'm posting what I can! Yay!

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Sora and Kalos were the only ones that noticed Leon's hands fisting. He managed to cover it up with the sudden action of standing up from the pillar.

"I have no desire to be in it, that's all."

Layla crossed her arms as she held a superior pose, "Your decision wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you have made so many enemies in France, would it?" With a pseudo tilt of her head in thought, she amended, "Europe in general."

Leon noted the wide brown eyes staring at him from a little ways behind and to the side of Layla. He wondered how bad the damage would be after all of this…

"I saw your name on the roster three years ago," Layla ruthlessly pushed, "You and your partner never showed up."

Leon's eyes were frosted as he looked over at Layla. "I'm surprised you bothered to remember something so _insignificant_," he bit out.

The barest trace of confusion flitted through Layla's eyes at the man's tone, but it was quickly pushed aside in favor of getting him to participate.

"Don't you want to redeem yourself? Wouldn't another chance cover over the blemish of your previous 'no show' score at the festival?" Layla then remembered something, some statement her partner made years ago during the festival. "Many people had been looking forward to competing against you; Yuri included."

That final sentence brought out a severe reaction.

"Do not speak of _Yuri Killian_" Leon seethed, spitting out the man's name like it was poison in his drink "unless you want to make an enemy of me."

His words stilled Sora.

"I highly doubt that you'd notice another enemy, what with all the careers you've ended." Layla's blue eyes were sharp. "Many on the festival committee hate you because of that."

_Ended…_ Sora's hands trembled a little.

"That festival had been my duel with fate," Layla said with conviction, "and you…you ran away from yours before it could truly begin."

Leon's eyes were slated stone. "Your ignorance is appalling," he murmured.

He walked over to the door of Kalos' office and opened it. "If you want representatives there so badly, fine." He continued talking with his back to the room, "Whoever wants to go better be prepared to face me."

With those words, he walked out and shut the door behind him.

IN

Sora was off her game at the pizzeria.

She was crouched down, picking up the pieces of the plate that had broken. The discussion about the festival and Leon's past distracted her, making her wonder about many aspects of what she had heard. _Enemies, careers ended, facing Leon…_

_Should I be afraid of Leon?_

Her hand trembled a little, answering the question for her.

IN

She sat on the bench of the bus stop, not surprised that Leon had not shown up at the pizzeria like usual. She zipped up her jacket even more as the night air made her shiver.

"Would you like a ride?"

She started and turned around to see Leon behind the bench.

_That's the first time he's asked me if I want a ride. _

Lately, he was asking her a lot of things rather than assuming she'd come or answer in the positive.

"…Ok."

IN

The car was silent.

Sora had many things she wanted to ask and many things she was afraid of finding out the truth about. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and she couldn't help but think of how she'd seen him laugh, tease her, make love to her, and even his sleepy expression in the mornings.

She was having trouble reconciling those moments with his stony expression in the Boss' office.

"…Do you really have a lot of enemies?"

"Yes."

She played with her bag's strap. "Layla wants me to try for the festival," she softly said, "she didn't outright say it, but…" She helplessly shrugged. "Before she left the stage, she asked me to be her dream, become the star she always wanted to be."

Leon parked the car and then turned to her.

"I stand by my statement," he quietly said.

She knew which one he meant and she found no comfort in it.

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	77. Chapter 77

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The next day, Leon was at the backstage early.

He didn't get much sleep, but he had been expecting it. He sighed and adjusted the cape of his Dracula costume. Last night, he had wanted to ask Sora to stay with him again, impulsively and foolishly. He scoffed at himself.

_She's not comfortable around me._

It would have been a very selfish thing for him to have asked her. Sadly, he was aware that it would probably be quite a while before she would be willing to spent time with him again outside of the stage.

_Possibly never._

He excelled at burning bridges, whether intentional or not. His once blossoming relationship with the spirited performer was definitely a connection he would rather not lose, but the festival was an interest of this stage's future and he was a part of it at the moment.

Kalos could nullify his contract if he was reluctant to participate.

And that would not be agreeable to Leon.

Not for the first time, Leon cursed himself for forgetting about the festival earlier on. _If I had recalled, I undoubtedly wouldn't have pursued her. _The impending heartache was to come and he couldn't stop it. It was already starting as of yesterday.

As he felt something twinge inside of him, he wondered _whose _heartache he was thinking about…

"…partner for the festival?"

Leon snapped out of it as more performers came to the backstage.

"Sora's got the guts, I'm voting for her!"

"But May's closer to Leon!"

"…dating her? I mean, they're partners already; why would he choose another?"

"…that one time, remember? May even confirmed that they were dating!"

More performers came in, the voices blurring and words indistinguishable, but Leon had heard enough. His hands were tightly clenched at what he heard.

_This gossip…is this what made Sora think I didn't want her after New York?_

"Leon!" May called out to him and stood incredibly close to him like she had the right to be. "You'll choose me as a partner for the festival, right? I mean, we've had so much experience together, it would be pointless to _try_ to train someone _less_ experienced, you know what I mean?"

His blood boiled at her audacity.

"…understand if you _have _to 'test' me for appearances' sake. I mean, a certain someone might say that you're just picking favorites and I don't really need that kind of aggravation, so if you could just give me a chance to clear the air and just _show off _sometime that'll be great."

He slowly blinked the angry haze in his head. _A chance? Yes…_

"Alright," he lowly murmured, "I'll give you a chance at this show."

May clasped her hands in excitement. "You won't regret it!"

IN

In the dressing room area, chaos had erupted after the show.

Sora ran, still not quite believing what she had seen. Leon had caught May after the special spin and he was holding her up by the arms, getting ready to bite her when May's body just began to fall…

She shivered. _He purposefully let go of her._

And then he grabbed May's arm so suddenly, causing the acrobat's face to distort in pain…His grip must have torn ligaments…

_Is this what Layla meant when she said he ended so many careers?_

Sora heard May cry out in pain from her dressing room up ahead. She picked up her pace, running over to see if the girl needed some ice or something.

Annoying or not, no one deserved that kind of pain.

"May! Are you alright?"

The girl was sitting down with her teeth gritted. She tightly clutched her shoulder. "Do I _look_ alright?!"

Sarah came in with a cold compress. "Here, this should ease it until we take you to Dr. Kate."

May took in and hissed as she placed it on her shoulder.

"That's what happens," came Layla's voice from the doorway, "when you're not prepared."

Sora and May looked at the blonde with wide eyes.

"You're out of the competition, May," Layla turned her head preparing to leave, "focus on healing that shoulder for now. Sora, you'd best be prepared for your own test."

With that, Layla walked away. May stood up with a wince and was about to call out to Layla to tell her that she could still compete when Leon finally came to the door.

Sora's friends backed away from the man as if he had the plague.

"I can't believe you couldn't handle such a simple ab-lib," he drawled, "especially since you proclaimed to be more experienced."

The dark satisfaction coming from him greatly upset Sora.

May was devastated and the rare sight of tears in her eyes showed it. "So…you did that on _purpose?_" She had not been certain, had not wanted to think that Leon would let go of her so suddenly without any warning.

"You wanted a chance," he emotionlessly said, "and I gave it to you, only for you to fumble."

The word _chance_ struck dread into Sora's system. _She had asked him for a chance? I…before New York, so did I…_

If she had played Mina instead of May, would Leon have dropped her too?

Only Mia and Leon understood the conflicting emotions flitting about Sora's face.

"You," Sora listlessly started as she looked at Leon, not finding the words to say what she felt. "You," she restarted, her voice having the slightest of quivers, "You're…"

"Cruel," he filled in for her.

"You're terrible," she half whispered to him, but she might as well have shouted it out loud.

Her words made him withdraw into himself, his eyes filming over with a blank expression. "Your test will be tomorrow," he murmured and then walked off, her friends quickly moving away from him once more.

May yelled at Sora to get out, tears threatening to fall. Sarah was allowed to stay, seeing as she was going to be her ride for the doctor.

Sora closed May's door.

Rosetta broke the silence. "Sora, I talked to my mom last night about the Circus Festival." The younger girl gripped Sora's arm. "She said Leon's infamous. He's known as 'The God of Death'."

A few exclamations sounded from her friends at the news.

"You shouldn't go tomorrow, Sora!"

"This is too dangerous, I'm talking to Kalos!"

"You shouldn't tangle with Leon."

The last comment from Mia made Sora want to laugh. _Tangle with him? _

It was too late for that warning.

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AN: I know some of this seems kind of less intriguing, but I'll try to get to the main parts of what I need.


	78. Chapter 78

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Sora didn't get much sleep last night, but she still rose early for her test.

They stood in front of each other, she in her training clothes and he in his regular dark outfit.

Her eyes were tired, having cried for a very long time. His eyes were somber and still, like twin headstones standing near each other.

"The training," he said in a grave voice, "will commence."

IN

For several days, she stood on one leg, hour after hour.

He stayed with her during it all. Silent.

Only on the third day did he say something to her that was not an instruction.

Her leg was shaking terribly. She had a permanent frown on her face as she attempted to block out the strain and the fatigue. He had been standing over by the wall, unable to relax as he saw her in pain. When the faintest of whimpers accidently slipped out of her mouth, his resolve faltered.

He walked over to her.

"You don't have to continue," he murmured at her back, a hand reaching up to touch her, but it merely hovered. "You are free to stop at any time."

She tried to turn her head to look at him without losing her balance, but it was futile. She caught the underlining _plea_ to his words and that brought out a deeper frown on her face.

_Wasn't this his training regimen? _She couldn't fathom his words.

"If I do," she said with some strain to her voice, "I won't be able to go."

"What's wrong with that?"

She really wished she could see his face right now. _Why doesn't he want to go? Is it really the fact that he has so many enemies over there?_ Layla had called him a coward, but Sora had never really seen him as one.

Then again, she hadn't seen him as 'The God of Death' either…

"People are counting on me going," she said with an air of finality.

He let out a breath in irritation, but said nothing else to that. He walked back over to the wall and resumed the silence.

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The fifth day of training, she was exhausted.

She tried to see him through the strong flow of water pouring on her, but she could only make out a blur of black and silver. _Why is he making me do this?_ She couldn't see the reason for it; couldn't find anything that would _explain_ all of the hours of standing, balancing, and posing.

_Is he trying to break me, like he did May?_

Her eyes teared up and the hurt streamed down her face as she recalled the way he had held her at night and the way he comforted her when she was worried about her job at the pizzeria.

She couldn't understand him.

IN

His arms were folded as he watched her.

He stayed standing, oblivious to the tears on her face for the water masked it well. However, her sad expression made his hands fist.

_"Only a demon can raise an angel," Alen barked at a much younger Leon. "Easing up on her," his instructor pointed to his sister nearly passed out on the ground as she caught her breath, "will be hurting her chances at true stardom!"_

His eyes glowered in memory. How he _hated_ Alen for training his sister.

Ken started yelling at Leon for his treatment of Sora. The Frenchman stayed looking at the teen in question, seeing how tired and worn out she looked beneath the heavy weight of the water.

…How he hated himself for training her…

IN

She lay on her bed, trying to catch some rest before tomorrow.

_I thought the training was it._

Sarah came by to tell her that Leon had one more part of the test for her to do tomorrow morning. Sora wanted to cry again when she heard that, her legs unbearably stinging from the strain they went through.

She rolled onto her side, her hand coming up to clutch her pillow.

_Will he destroy me tomorrow, seeing that I had survived his training?_

IN

The next morning, she was up on one platform while he was on the other.

Her friends were down below, watching to see if she'd pass or not. But she did not look down at them. Once she entered the practice room, her eyes stayed on Leon's form. Likewise, his gaze stayed on her, talking only to her as they had discussed the test needing to be without the net, seeing as the actual festival wouldn't have one. Her eyes had narrowed at the request.

Now, she was holding the trapeze bar, waiting for him to say what he wanted her to do.

"A somersault backflip layout," his voice, with its timbre and smooth tone, echoed into the room.

She felt her head nod as her friends wondered aloud at the simplicity of the move for such a high staked test. She really didn't care anymore; she just wanted to get it over with.

She jumped off of the platform, slowly building her momentum.

Her eyes watched as Leon swung from his knees, his long silver hair moving back and forth with his swings. She remembered his moonlit form, how she had reveled in the sight he made and wanted to touch and kiss him for as long as she could.

She remembered his face as he told May off after hurting her, and the superior way he held himself.

They were swinging in sync now, she idly registered that she was seconds away from doing the layout and winning her position as his partner for the International Circus Festival.

Three seconds.

Two.

One…

Her hands tightly gripped the bar, missing the moment.

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Her friends were abuzz with noise. Sora stood still on the platform with the swing still in her hands. She didn't seem to be registering any of their voices.

Leon could hear them talking, saying that she had held on because of fear.

_That may be a part of it, however…_

He had seen the look on her face as she continued to hold the bar. It was not the face of a person afraid to let go or not confident enough to do the maneuver.

Revulsion had been on her face.

She held on because she was rejecting him as a partner…he wouldn't be surprised if she was rejecting him on principle and her own conscience.

His eyes were blank, masking the turmoil her action created.

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	79. Chapter 79

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For about a week, Leon had been living _without_ the pressure of the Circus Festival weighing down on him. Though, he had a new dilemma.

Sora was evading him.

Without her working at the pizzeria or needing to be around the Kaleido Stage property for a show to perform, seeing as the Kids' Stage was closed now that the weather was deemed too chilly for performers and audience members alike to be out by the pool stage, Sora was hard to find.

He knew he could go over to her dorm, but he had a feeling that her friends would make sure he kept away from the redhead's room, especially with the dorm supervisor being amongst her friends.

In truth, they could not stop him from coming to her room if he really wanted to go there; however, he did not think that it would be a good idea. Besides, he was not sure what he would say to her if he did go to her room.

His history was true.

His title was true.

The treatment of May and the training he put her through had both occurred by his own hand.

_I have no words of comfort to offer._

He could not see what he could say that would move her heart. He did not have any good reasons for her to be his partner since he did not want her to be his partner for the festival.

He didn't want her to go _at all_.

The place would tear at her compassion and gentle heart; rip them to shreds until they were tethered rags or no longer existed. That was something that he would not want to happen. Since he was the partner for whoever wanted to go and she was disgusted with him, she will continue to reject him as a partner, therefore keeping her away from the festival.

He could shoulder her disgust for a while more.

_After the deadline for the festival, I shall try to properly reconcile with her._

He did not know _how_ he will be able to work things out with Sora, but he was determined to keep trying, be it for months or years. Then, perhaps, they could be partners and he could help her become a star after he explained the idea of the Angel's Maneuver.

If she wanted to try it, then and only then would he continue the training with the least amount of pain for her. Rushing it and the time limits were what made it painful for his sister.

Sophie was ambitious already, but Alen pushed even more stress onto her.

_Gradually is the way to go_. Leon was certain of it.

Sadly, for all his thought poured into the festival and the Angel's Maneuver, Leon had underestimated a key element that would destroy his intentions:

The tenacity of both May and Sora.

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The next morning, he received a call from Kalos.

_"Will you allow for retries?"_

Leon held his cell phone a little too tightly. "It depends. Who is asking?"

_"May."_

His grip on the phone loosened.

IN

It had been quite a while since he saw May.

The last he had seen of her was when her shoulder was hurt and he basically knocked her down a peg or two with her superiority complex, especially in regards to Sora.

Yes, he was very surprised.

"You have asked me for another trial." It was supposed to be a question, but it came out a statement.

The girl in question stood on the other platform, looking quite ragged and her hair loose and a mess. Her arm was still in a sling. He wondered what she had in mind with only one functioning arm.

"No," she clarified with the barest hint of insanity and exhaustion, "_I _have a trial for _you._" Her hand unhooked the swing as she continued with even more pomp than before. "You say you're 'The God of Death'?" she chuckled, a strange sound was to it, "Well I'm still here, so that must mean I'm a demon created by you."

Her eyes were wide as she proclaimed, "If that's the case, then you'll catch me for sure!"

With that, the girl jumped off of the platform. Leon quickly unhooked his trapeze, a little unnerved by the mental state of May.

The girl twisted around wildly and she let go of the bar way too early. Leon's eyes widened at her recklessness, trying to follow the erratic movements of her body and hand. He slipped down from his knees to his foot, managing to catch her before she met the floor in another accident.

The room with its spectators was silent except for May's heavy breathing.

"Well," Layla said after letting the shock wear off, "it looks like May is Leon's partner."

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Everyone waited for the duo to come down.

Once they did, the customary Kaleido Stage congratulations were given, even if no handshakes or hugs were shared, as per usual. Layla had been the first and only one to shake their hands. May beamed with the attention; Leon looked impassive.

Layla followed May out of the room, intent on giving the girl the laydown of the festival, seeing as she and Leon will be going with Layla's recommendation. She passed Sora, the disappointment clear in her blue eyes, but no words were exchanged.

Sora's hand fisted.

Her friends filed out of the room. Leon was the last to come near her.

He did not speak until the others had left. "It's done now."

Her head bowed, her bangs covering her eyes. "You have your partner, as it should be."

He frowned a little at that.

"You and May…you two have so much in common, I knew that telling her about my failure was the right choice," she murmured.

"You were the one to tell May to try again?" he asked incredulously.

She was silent for a few moments, then, her head lifted up, and tears glistened in her eyes.

"You and I…we're not meant to be partners," she whispered.

His hand reached for her, but then she recoiled. "A small group from the stage will be going to watch. I'm coming along to show my support." Her head turned away from him. "No matter what the situation is, you and May are still members of this stage."

"So…congratulations," she said and then hastily left the practice room.

He stared wide eyed at where she used to be standing, feeling even more affection for her support and feeling a cold sliver of despair.

_Not meant to be…_

What devastation those words caused inside him.

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AN: I'm sorry! These things need to happen! ; _ ;


	80. Chapter 80

AN: It's been a while! Sorry, things were getting hectic!

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The days in his home country passed with Leon in a state of numbness.

He and May were staying at the hotel with the Circus Festival competitors—separate rooms, of course. He didn't think he could stand it if they had the same room.

When they had first walked into the hotel lobby, whispers surrounded them, every performer in France recognizing the long, silver hair of the 'God of Death.' Leon had gone off without May to ask for his room key, though he found that it had been pulled up and placed on the counter for him already.

As he had walked to the elevators, he heard many people asking to switch floors if they were on the same one as him.

He blankly stared at the dying sunset through his bay window as his mind thought back on their stay here thus far.

_Nothing's changed._

There wasn't anything comforting in that, though it did mean that people would be less likely to bother him. When his hotel phone rang, he let out a tired sigh_._

_Except for May._

Ever since they've arrived, the Chinese acrobat has been calling him almost twice a day to go and practice. He really didn't see the need for it, not caring if they won or not. He just wanted it to be over. His sleep had been off since the reintroduction of the Circus Festival back at the Kaleido Stage.

Now that they were actually there, phantoms came with a stronger force, even in the daytime.

He let the phone ring for a while more and then picked it up, May's voice immediately telling him when she'd like to practice. He gave a curt response back and then hung up.

IN

The next day, the committee sent out the official competitors listing.

May perused it as she ate her breakfast, curtsey of room service. She had a pen in hand as she dismissed competitors and circled ones to look out for. When she came across hers and Leon's name, she had a smug look on her face.

She put stars next to them.

IN

Leon had been up very early, seeing as he could not get much sleep as of late.

His sweat towel was around his neck as he walked back from the weight room and idly looked at the windows of other workout rooms. Up ahead and around the right corner were the trapeze rooms; Leon was beginning to walk by them when one of the doors suddenly opened, making him pause.

His eyes widened a bit at the figure in front of him.

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May continued to cross out names, snickering at a few at them when her pen hovered over a familiar name. Her blue eyes widened, her jaw dropped in shock. She didn't notice that the scrambled egg in her mouth was slipping out in a very uncouth manner.

"What in all the blazes is _this_?!" she shrieked.

IN

Before him stood a very familiar blonde and brunette couple in their training gear.

"Alice," Leon murmured, and then turned to the man, "Mute."

Alice's hand tightened around the strap of her gym bag. "You have a lot of nerve coming back to France."

A hand on her shoulder prevented her from stepping forward towards Leon. Mute did not speak, but made sure that talking was all Alice did. It wouldn't do if they got in a fight with another contestant. Though, Mute was upset with Leon having injured a member of their troupe nearly two years ago; however, nothing good would come from physical fighting.

"It was not my intention," was all Leon said and then walked off.

"Tssh. 'Not my intention,'" Leon heard Alice say, "Of course it was, why else would the Kaleido Stage send _two _performing teams?"

Leon continued to walk back to his room, however, Alice's words rolled around in his head.

_Whatever is she talking about?_

He lightly frowned in confusion.

IN

Once showering, Leon decided to eat his breakfast in the dining area, having tired of staying in his hotel room for nearly a week now.

He settled himself down by a window seat and opened up the hotel menu.

Before long, a server came to his table, asking him for his order. Leon looked up, began to answer the man when something gave him pause.

For the second time that morning, his eyes widened as Sora sat down at a table near the front of the dining area. He felt a mixture of elation and heartache, though the emotion quickly plunged into overwhelming disbelief.

A blonde haired man slipped into the seat across from Sora with practiced ease.

_Yuri Killian._

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	81. Chapter 81

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For the third time since sitting down, Sora sighed in frustration.

_I'm just not getting it._

The Angel's Maneuver that Yuri described sounded pretty cool, but her lack of proper balance was really holding their progress back. Her fingers fiddled with the pages of the menu even though she couldn't read French.

Yuri helped her order the other times after she ordered the wrong thing the first time.

Her fingers paused along a page. She couldn't help but think, yet again, about the last time she had been at a restaurant and perusing a menu. She bit her bottom lip in concern. _It's been almost a week and I haven't run into him._

She was more than nervous about the impending encounter; she'd be deluding herself if she didn't think that it would eventually happen.

After all, Leon was in the competition first before she thought about Yuri's Phoenix Tickets.

Truthfully, she had meant to come later with the rest of the group cheering and she was contenting herself with having made the right decision in not being a competitor when Layla came by her dorm. The look on her ex-partner's face as she talked to her and actually voiced out that she had wanted Sora to be the one to go…

After hearing that, Sora was restless staying at the stage.

She blankly stared at the empty chair across from her. When Yuri suddenly came and sat in it, she blinked herself out of her stupor and greeted him a "good morning."

He was dressed casually and his eyes looked a lot calmer than when she had seen him for the Legendary Great Maneuver. She had been so surprised by the change, but glad that he was finding some inner piece at his art school.

"Good morning, Sora. Did you sleep well?"

She forced a smile on; the last time she had uninterrupted sleep felt like ages ago.

"I got enough."

Yuri had seen the bit of tightness to the smile, but did not comment on it. "Well, that's to be expected. The festival is quite nerve-wracking."

"Yeah," she gave a small laugh. _There's an understatement._

A server came and took their orders. Sora told Yuri want she wanted, as they have been doing for a while now. When the server left, Yuri leaned forward in his seat.

"So when will the others be arriving?"

"In a few days," Sora said as she grabbed her cup to take a sip, "Anna wants to find Mr. Charlie and Mia wants to tour a little before the festival occurs."

Something, some noise or maybe just the sensation of being stared at, made Sora look to the right of Yuri. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in dread.

Leon, with his chin in his hand and a frown on his face, was intensely staring at her.

She swallowed the panic that was forming in the pit of her stomach as she recalled his words. _'Yuri Killian' he spat…. 'Don't mention him unless you want to make an enemy of me…' _ He had been referring about talking about Yuri; she was afraid to know what he'd do seeing that she was _with_ Yuri for the festival.

"Sora?" came Yuri's concerned voice.

He reached a hand out and touched her on the arm, startling her. Her eyes looked back at Yuri and then quickly went over to Leon.

He was no longer there.

IN

As soon as he re-entered his room, May called his hotel phone.

Leon let it ring; he was not in the mood to be training with her right now, especially after seeing Yuri with Sora at the same table. He wasn't certain why the redhead was here, but when he saw Yuri putting a hand on her arm, he had seen red.

He left the dining area before he caused a scene.

The phone rang again. With building annoyance, he answered it with a snappish tone.

"What?"

On the other end of the line, May stammered a little at the brisk question but then easily regained her composure. _"Have you seen the official list of competitors?"_

_That is what she wants to talk to me about?_ He barely refrained from slamming the phone in its holder.

"Not yet."

_"Well you should!"_

A bit of curiosity ebbed some of his irritation. He put the phone down to go look at the list carelessly thrown on top the coffee table. He saw some familiar names, some new ones, their own, and then he stood ramrod still.

Alice's statement from earlier finally made sense.

Vaguely, he heard May ranting on the phone about the deception and the special treatment of Sora and other things that he didn't hear, seeing as he hung up the phone.

For a while he simply stood there by the phone.

The paper crumpled in his hand.

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In the evening after Yuri and Sora practiced, she walked through the hotel looking over her shoulder not for the first time that day.

_I must look so paranoid_.

She was unsettled by the look on Leon's face in the dining area during breakfast and the way he suddenly disappeared had her nerves on edge.

_Would he approach me with Yuri nearby? Or would he wait for me to be alone?_

She honestly didn't know.

She reached out and pushed the button for the elevator. She rocked back and forth on her feet all the while looking around the place. When she stayed standing for a few seconds more, she went over to the door with staircase but then she heard the "ding!" of the elevator and came back.

_Has he seen the list yet? _

It was very likely.

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The metal doors of the elevator closed just as he saw her enter it.

With shrewd eyes, he noted the floor number lit above the elevator and then took the staircase.

IN

The elevator doors opened and she stepped out.

She attempted to walk down the hall without seeming like she was running. She couldn't explain her apprehension right now; she could understand being nervous out on the first floor where more people tended to be, but on her own room floor she didn't see why she felt so alert.

_I've not run into him for days now. Why be nervous now?_

Her mind easily answered that, _Because he finally saw you with Yuri. _Her door was close by; she pulled out her room card with shaky hands.

_Get it together!_

With a breath in, she continued walking.

Four doors away,

Three,

Two…

She stopped in front of her door. Up ahead, the door to the staircase opened and she started a little at the suddenness.

Then, her mouth dried as she spotted Leon in the doorway.

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AN: I was trying a new sort of set-up that I think works for this.

Run, Sora, run!


	82. Chapter 82

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The "fight or flight" instincts that people talk about—the reactions to fear, the unknown, or startling situations—she had been so certain she was a "fight" reactor.

As she looked at the tall figure of Leon Oswald with a look on his face that could chill the sun, she wasn't ashamed by her "flight" reaction.

He took half a step towards her and she was jamming her room card into the slot.

The rapid pounding of her heart told her to move it or lose it—she didn't quite care what _it _was supposed to be at the moment—and so with a great push, her door opened just as Leon was in front of the door.

Her eyes were wide as she intended on slamming the door in his face, having seen his hand coming up; however, a part of his foot had caught some of the door, keeping it partly open and freaking her out.

Quickly, she put the chain on the door.

The chain rattled a little as he attempted to open the door more. "Sora," came his terse voice.

She hugged herself as she stepped away from the door.

She wasn't immune to the talk she heard revolving around him and what happened to his past partners. Whenever she walked into the gym she heard it; she was even asked about how it was like performing on the same stage as Death, seeing as the list stated from which stage or circus the performers came from.

Leon's face and his presence now right weren't doing anything to help with her hesitations and nervousness.

IN

He withheld the urge to kick at the door which was quite difficult considering the mess his mind was at the moment. _She's not supposed to be here yet._ And of course, she just had to be here competing with _Yuri_ of all people.

"Open the door."

No response. He could feel his temper rising.

"Don't be a child," he bit out, "Come out and let me talk with you."

"You can do it from out there!" she called out on the other side.

He slapped a palm against the door's frame. "This is _absurd_. I refuse to discuss private matters in this manner. _Open the door_."

He didn't see it, but she shook her head at him.

"No."

The hand that had fisted on the frame loosened upon hearing the slight trembling of fear in her response. The climbing agitation halted with that sound; he took several calming breaths in, willing his feelings to settle and regain some of his rationality back.

He faintly recalled predicting the possibility of her slamming a door because of him.

The recollection took the rest of the fight out of him.

With a heavy sigh, he leaned his forehead against his hand and closed his eyes.

"Alright," he quietly murmured.

IN

Timidly, she stepped closer to the door after he had spoken in a calmer voice.

But she kept a good three feet away from the door.

After a few more minutes, she heard nothing. _Did he leave?_ Quietly, she went over to peek through the peek hole of the door. She frowned upon seeing silver.

"I'm not opening the door," she told him.

He may have calmed down, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him at the moment.

She thought she heard him sigh again. "I noticed."

Her arms crossed at the wiry tone, but upon seeing the door move again, she uncrossed them in reaction. She was surprised to see that he was closing it all the way like she had wanted to earlier.

She faintly heard his footsteps go away.

His actions unsettled her even more.

IN

The next two mornings, she did not see him in the dining area again.

He didn't even appear at her door like she thought he would. It was curious, for she took him as someone who got to the bottom of things no matter what. Reluctantly, she recalled when he had locked her in the car in order to find out why she had behaved so poorly at their first dinner.

What was she supposed to pay attention to? Was she to dismiss his title and his past? They obviously still have a hold on him based on his more recent behavior.

But then what about their dates from before the festival? What about his withdrawal from her door two days ago when she clearly didn't want to talk?

What about the conditions of his previous partners?

She pushed the rest of her breakfast away, having lost her appetite with her emotions a mess.

IN

Sora looked straight ahead as she stood on the balance beam.

With a breath in, she walked at a normal pace. _Distribute the weight properly._ Her left foot slightly stepped incorrectly; she wobbled on the beam as she attempted to find her balance.

"Nnn," She started leaning more on the right to compensate.

With a huff, she looked down and righted her feet again.

She tried it again a few more times until she finally just completely missed a step and fell off onto the blue mat. "_Shimatta._"

She was picking herself up when he spoke.

"For balance improvement," Leon started as he moved away from the wall he was leaning against, "you could try going on your toes with your eyes closed on the ground level." His eyes looked over at her and then drifted over to the weights, "You increase the minutes as your balance improves."

"…You don't have to train me," she quietly said.

Without looking at her, he shrugged and then walked over to the dumbbells. He sat down with his chosen weights and started lifting the right one with controlled motions and then the left.

_Right, left, right, left…_

His mantra trailed as he noted that she was looking at him. He remained quiet.

_Right, left, right…_

"I didn't do it in spite of you," she murmured.

The left paused, but he kept his eyes on the ground.

"I needed Yuri's tickets," she clarified, daring to step closer but still stayed on the balance beam mat, "I need to compete."

"You don't," he said as the left dumbbell moved again.

_Left, right, left…_

Her brows furrowed at the certainty of his words. "You still don't understand why I do need to."

"I don't," he agreed, a bit of frustration leaked out. "As far as I can tell, it's only because of Layla Hamilton." His eyes narrowed a little at that, making him glare at the ground. "She no longer has a say in the future of the Kaleido Stage."

When she made an indignant sound, he added, with a quick look at her, "Or in your future."

"She's just trying to help."

He harrumphed at that. "She's acting out the part of the diva, even now."

"What do you know," Sora snapped back in irritation, "you're just upset that Layla and Yuri won last time."

The dumbbells loudly clanked onto the floor. Leon stood up and strode over to her in long strides. Instead of running this time, she stood her ground in a moment of courage for her ex-partner and for Yuri, who was kind enough to be her partner for the festival.

"Your loyalty's misplaced," he bit out, "You can't even see how _confining_ your role model is," he withheld spitting 'role model' out in favor of getting his point across. "You weren't even aware of the festival until she brought it up."

Sora frowned at that. "Layla's not confining me; she told me about the festival to help me grow."

"She told you," he lowly started, "so you can be her carbon copy replacement." While still narrowed, something like sympathy and sorrow entered into his eyes as he looked over her face. "She won't even let you be your own dream."

His words made her stock still.

She stared at him, anger flashing in her eyes as well as the begrudging understanding that he might be right.

_Does Layla care about my own growth as a performer? _While she was in New York, she might have been inclined to agree with him, but as of now with her mixed feelings in regards to Leon…_Is the festival really about becoming a copy of Layla Hamilton?_ She fisted her hands, not sure how to deal with the insight, especially after Layla had spoken to her in her dorm room about the festival.

"You're angry with me," she said in a weak excuse.

"A part of me is," he finally murmured, "but that's not why I said that."

His hand came up to lightly touch her cheek. It had been the faintest of touches, yet she still shivered hard; goosebumps formed on her skin and until he had stepped away from her, she had not realized that she had been holding her breath.

His actions and words shook her from the inside.

IN

They had finished practicing around the same time.

Sora didn't even notice the looks they were getting as she willingly entered the elevator with him. He pushed the fourth button for her floor and then the sixth one for his floor. They did not look at each other; they did not speak.

She was still trembling from earlier.

The doors opened on the second floor; the person waiting spotted Leon inside and then said something in French, waving his hand in dismissal. Sora numbly looked over at Leon, not understanding what was said. With a blank facial expression, Leon hit a button and the elevator doors closed.

They were back in silence.

Her lips parted to say something, but then decided against it.

The elevator stopped on the third floor; this time a small group had been waiting. There was a variety of reactions, but they mainly dealt with fear and slight terror upon seeing long silver hair. They backed away from the metal doors, not even bothering to speak to Death.

Leon merely hit the 'close doors' button with that same blank expression.

The doors closed again.

Her brows furrowed, but she remained silent.

The fourth floor came; the doors opened with no one wanting to get on. Before Leon could do it, she leaned over and hit the button he had been pushing.

The doors closed.

Leon turned to her in a silent question.

"…were you telling the truth?" she murmured as she stared at the metal doors in front of them.

"Yes."

Her head tilted to face him. "I didn't say about what."

"I do not spout lies," he slowly said.

She blinked at him, staring and thinking about things he could only imagine.

"…Would you like me to stay tonight?" she said a few notches above a whisper.

His eyes flickered; the blank mask that annoyed her was toned down a bit, but still present. He became accustomed to it since the whole start of the festival trials in Cape Mary and it stayed up during his stay in France.

He recalled telling her to not give him questions that would allow him to refuse.

As he looked at her upturned face, the brown eyes, her pouty lips and small nose, he felt a revival of an old, dormant emotion that both squeezed his insides and set his blood on fire, despite all that they have gone through thus far.

"Yes."

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AN: The emotions in this one was tricky for me.


	83. Chapter 83

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Still in the elevator, she tiptoed up and kissed him.

Her hands were barely resting on his shoulders, but they felt like a sure weight as if she was clinging onto him. She stayed with her lips connected to his, waiting for something, anything that would indicate that he was real and she had not been wrong in wanting to stay.

He came alive with her kiss, his hands going around her waist.

Their kiss was slow, though it burned them, catching their bodies on fire with the familiar touch of many days ago, back before the festival, back when they were reconciled and not afraid of wanting each other.

Her hands, petite and partly calloused from the trapeze, felt like silk against his neck. He shuddered then; looking at her through lidded eyes as her nails lightly scratched his scalp and ran along the nape of his neck.

She wanted proof that he was still human and could still feel.

That the subconscious clenching of his hand whenever people were afraid to get on the elevator because of him, the coloring of desire in his eyes now as her fingers massaged his scalp and her body pressed into him and his hands lightly held her as he kissed her back…

This was the Leon Oswald she wanted, not the emotionless Boogeyman that people made him out to be.

She was aware that he was not blameless in the tales—she wouldn't deny that for she had seen him drop May during a production—and she wasn't anywhere close to understanding or coming to terms with his horrid behavior, but she just couldn't handle it anymore.

_That mask of ice and indifference, as if nothing, no actions or words could affect you…_

That was a lie.

He may not realize it himself; he may not be doing it intentionally for he claimed to hate lies, but that mask was a lie.

She allowed him to taste her for a few more seconds, his arms tightly around her waist and making her feet dangle in the air. She allowed herself to respond back for a few seconds more, her arms around his neck in a moment of sureness that he would not drop her.

With a heavy heart, she pulled away.

He looked at her, seeing the glossiness of her eyes.

When he set her on her feet, her arm loosened and her hand came forward to trace a silver brow. She looked at the mask still in place, the desire and confusion in his eyes so hard to see beyond the wall.

"I would like to stay…" she murmured in a low tone, the unspoken 'but…' hanging in the air between them, lingering there with regret and heartache as well as her uncertainty and frustration.

He could see it all in her eyes, even if her voice hadn't revealed it.

His forehead hovered a few centimeters from hers, almost touching, but not quite. His eyes closed, knowing that her hesitations were his fault, but not knowing how he could disperse them.

They stayed in a loose embrace until the elevator stopped on his floor.

He detached himself from her and exited. Numbly, he watched the metal doors close with her still inside. Before they closed all the way, she looked up at him from her despondent staring at the floor.

He wasn't sure if the longing on her face was painful or not.

IN

Four days passed, her friends having arrived already.

Sora and Yuri practiced while Mute and Alice helped them out. Ken stood off to the side as he watched in awe as Sora floated in the air for a bit and then fell back down for Yuri to catch her.

The rest of her friends were sightseeing, but Ken opted out in favor of watching Sora practice. The redhead hadn't known what to say to that without making it awkward, so she just allowed him to come inside.

"Alright, we can stop for today," Yuri said.

Sora nodded and then let go to drop on the net. When she got off, she smiled as Alice handed her a water bottle.

"Thanks," she chirruped.

"Not a problem," the young woman said with a smile.

Sora didn't see it, but Yuri frowned a little at the look on Mute's face over by the bags. The blonde quickly smoothed his face over when Mute walked over to Yuri with a bottle as well. He accepted the water with a small smile and a nod. When Mute turned around to grab one for himself, Yuri discretely looked over the bottle to make sure it hadn't been tampered with. Seeing nothing amiss, he broke the seal and drank.

_They're up to something,_ he mused as he watched Sora and Alice talking, _I just don't know what._

As long as they didn't outright sabotage them, Yuri saw no issue with them continuing to help.

IN

The day before the festival, Yuri stopped by Sora's room to drop off her costume.

The redhead took a look and smiled. "It looks good Yuri. Thanks for being able to get a set of matching outfits on such short notice."

"It helps being known in the circus world."

Sora laughed. "That's true."

Yuri smiled. "By the way, I wanted to congratulate you on improving your balance so fast. It really made a difference. What did you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

Her eyes dimmed a little. "Someone in the gym suggested something."

Yuri noted the feeling that she had a somewhat stiff smile on, but let it pass. "Well, I'm glad they were helpful."

Sora idly nodded, her eyes drifting back to the costume. "I've been wondering this for a while now," her fingers touched the feathers on the shoulder of the outfit and then turned her attention back to Yuri, "if you don't mind me asking, where did you find out about the Angel's Maneuver?"

It was his turn to have a stiff face. "Just around," he murmured, "Performers like to talk."

She blinked at the ambiguous response, but did not press for details.

_After all, I wasn't all that forthcoming with my response._

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Yuri said. "Meet me in the lobby and then we can walk over together."

"Alright. Good night, Yuri."

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AN: I will say that this one gave me some trouble with the emotions as well.

Circus Festival's coming up!


	84. Chapter 84

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May and Leon had signed in before coming into the main dressing room for the contestants.

The Chinese acrobat adjusted her devil's horn on her head as they walked. People got out of their way, which wasn't anything new or upsetting. On the contrary, May liked it.

_They should get out of the way of the new star._

Her smug smile waned a little as she spotted a figure in white and a magenta coat coming from the other end of the hall. Soon after her phone call about the listing of the competitors, Leon had explicitly told May that if she were to approach Sora any time before or during the festival, he would drop out and leave her without a partner.

She had been upset about the order, but wasn't stupid enough to test it out.

Her eyes glinted as Sora approached them. _It doesn't count if she's the one that comes to me._

IN

Sora nervously tugged at her top part of the costume, making sure that the clear strap she had for one shoulder stayed in place.

_I hope it doesn't snap during the performance._

She was shrugging the jacket back onto her shoulder when a familiar voice called out from the other entrance of the hallway.

"Well, well. Look what we have here," May drawled with her arms crossed haughtily, "a rogue performer that doesn't know how to lose gracefully."

Sora frowned at the insult. "I'm here through proper means, May." She stole a glance at Leon and then looked over May's shoulder. "You have your partner and I have mine."

May scoffed. "You just want to get the trophy from Layla."

That information made Sora's eyes widen. "What?"

"Don't pretend to be ignorant." May tilted her chin up. "I'm going to win and everyone will see Layla giving me the trophy."

Sora blinked._ So Layla's here…_

Footsteps sounded behind Sora; she turned her head slightly to see Yuri coming up. Since her head was turned, she missed the chilling glare that Leon shot Yuri.

"Well, I can't say I expected for us to meet again," Yuri said.

Leon's eyes narrowed even more. "It would have been a mercy if we hadn't."

Sora looked over at Leon and then at May. The blue eyed performer seemed to be shocked by Leon's response as well.

"Come now," Yuri said with a forced smile, "let the past stay where it should be."

Yuri stretched a hand out in offering. Leon stared at it as if it were a sickly thing.

"I'll let it stay," Leon tightly said, "when the damage has been undone."

Yuri's hand fell down at that. The two bystanders shared a look as Leon passed by them all and walked into the communal waiting room. Yuri walked in, leaving the two alone in the hallway.

May was pensive as she stared at the open doorway. _Does this have to do with that 'Sophie' character I keep hearing about?_ Whenever she introduced herself as Leon's partner, the others would laugh and say that none had been his partner but 'Sophie.'

From what she gathered, 'Sophie' was the last long termed partner Leon had before he started searching for a partner. Hardly anyone talked of 'Sophie' without some sort of respect.

When Ken came over, both girls snapped out of it.

"Hey Sora, are you ready?"

May strode into the room. For once, Sora was envious that she couldn't do the same.

"Oh, I guess so," Sora said with a slow inching towards the room.

Ken followed her inside; she nearly whined out loud. _Why isn't he with the others?_

IN

The festival was underway.

Sora stretched out while they waited. She frowned as she caught a performer moving her suitcase in the way as another performer tripped over it but managed to not fall down.

"Watch it!"

"So sorry," came the woman's cool voice as she continued to put on her makeup. "It's pretty crowded in here."

Sora looked away as she spotted movement in the back. May practiced on the swing in the room and Leon stood nearby as he stretched his arms out. Suddenly, some swishing sound cut through the air towards Leon; Sora started and had her lips parted to warn him, but Leon swiftly caught the item.

Sora's face paled as she noted that it was a throwing blade.

"Must have slipped," sneered the man who had thrown it, "but judging by your fast reflexes, I can see why only your partners are the ones that get injured."

The man proceeded to laugh in a cynical sound.

Sora shuddered upon hearing it. _Is everyone like this? _

Her frown smoothed when she shook her head to and Alice have been more than kind in helping; they were the proof that not everyone was like that.

"I guess you always have to be on guard," Ken noted from his seat over by the wall closest to her.

"Yeah," Sora idly said as she looked over to the doorway.

"You keep looking over there," Ken said with some curiosity, "are you waiting for something?"

Sora blinked out of her thoughts. "Oh, I'm just worried about Mute and Alice," she turned towards Ken, "they were so helpful with our training, I would feel bad if something happened to them."

"You're not as sweet as I thought," May said from behind her.

Sora turned towards her, seeing the full black and purple outfit she had on. "What do you mean?"

"Abusing the goodwill of other contestants in order to give them less time to practice," May shortly clapped with a devilish expression, "I gotta hand it to you, that's not half bad."

Sora's jaw dropped. "That's not what I did at all!"

"Please," May said with a wave of her hand, "I highly doubt they'll see it in a good light."

From the other side of the room, Leon frowned as he took in the appalled expression on Sora's face. He walked over, picked up his jacket from a chair and gave May a sharp look.

"Let's go."

May wanted to argue, but his earlier threat came to her mind. With a huff, she grabbed her jacket and slipped into it jerkily.

"Don't make too many enemies now," May sang as she closed the door behind her.

Leon inwardly cursed as the girl shot that last jab at Sora.

_I should have gotten May out sooner._

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	85. Chapter 85

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Sora was distressed. _Was I abusing them unknowingly?_

They had offered to help and she and Yuri needed the extra hands. It made practicing a lot smoother than if it was just the two of them.

_But, when they were helping us, who was helping them?_

She brought her thumb up and bit her nail. _Should we have offered to help in return?_ She hadn't even thought about that; they hadn't mentioned anything about their training or if they were having some difficulties.

Fleetingly, she wondered what Leon thought of her after hearing May's assessment of the situation.

She bit her nail harder.

Ken gave her a cup of water and was about to lay a hand on her shoulder when the dressing room door opened. Sora quickly turned around, slightly spilling her water as she saw the newcomers.

"Mute and Alice! I was so worried that—" her mind blanked as she saw their costumes.

With the white background and a matching blue and pink design of a feather on the body of the costume, Sora couldn't help but think that their outfits looked similar to hers and Yuri's…

"You both…look like angels…"

The once caring face of Mute turned hard. "That's correct. Now, if you excuse us."

Sora numbly moved out of the way as the pair came in to put their duffle bags down in the waiting room. She looked over at Yuri who had come over when the pair came in.

He didn't seem too surprised by their costumes.

"Why?" Sora choked out, still in shock at the turn of events. It may be unsurprising to Yuri and even Ken, but for the life of her she couldn't understand why they would copy Yuri and her.

It was Alice that answered her.

"Why?" she asked incredulously, "Because we want to win! We _need _to win for the sake of not only our dreams, but our entire troupe's!"

"We'll be given the credit of actually doing the Angel's Maneuver," Mute puffed out, "the first pair to try after three years!"

Sora frowned at that information, but she pushed it aside for now. "Did we do something wrong? Did Yuri and I seem ungrateful for the help, because we were—we still are grateful for—"

Alice's short, high pitched laughter interrupted Sora.

"You naïve girl! This has nothing to do with gratitude or ingratitude!" Something bitter and hard entered Alice's once pretty sky blue eyes. "Your maneuver trumped our original plans; we had to adjust just for a shot against Leon Oswald and you two."

"Alice," Mute cut in. With his hand on her shoulder, she stopped and shrugged out of her coat. Mute turned back to Sora, not letting her watery eyes affect him. "We didn't do anything against the rules, so discussing this any further is useless."

After saying that, the two left.

The cup in Sora's hand slipped from her limp fingers and spilled over the floor.

IN

Blankly, Sora stood by the sidelines with Yuri as May and Leon dazzled the crowd into complete silence.

Her hands still trembled from the encounter with Mute and Alice, but she refused to cry about it, no matter how much she wanted to.

_Focus, focus…_

Leon and May posed on a trapeze, his long silver hair and her dark black hair making magnificent contrasts. The once silent crowd was wild; it faintly reminded Sora of the audience for the _Dracula _shows.

She didn't like that type of reaction then, she especially didn't like it now.

_Is this an audience I want to receive applause from?_

IN

Mute and Alice were up.

They swung a few times, getting into sync with each other. In the corner of her eye, silver flitted near her. Her eyes looked to her left to see Leon standing a few feet from her with his coat on, but still in his demon costume.

She looked forward.

Alice jumped off of the swing to grasp Mute's hands. Just as Mute was pushing her upwards, Sora heard a sharp inhale from Leon.

Quickly, she turned to him, seeing surprise flash across his face before the impassive mask came back on.

_Is it just me or did it look like he recognizes the maneuver?_

She did not have the time to further think on that.

Alice's screaming had her full attention.

IN

Mute and Alice were the only people on her mind as she ran backstage to see them.

"Alice!" Sora called out. "Will he be alright?"

Alice, teary eyed, looked up from Mute on the stretcher. "We didn't mean any harm," she cried out, not answering Sora's question as her own thoughts spilled out of her mouth, "But when Mute and I saw you practicing the Angel's Maneuver, the very move that _he _and his partner had been rumored to attempt for the festival three years ago—" she covered her mouth as a sob broke up her speech.

Confused, Sora frowned. "Who's 'he'?"

"Sora," Mute weakly called from the stretcher.

When his hand reached up, Sora immediately grasped his hand.

"We let revenge cloud our minds," he continued from Alice's words, "We wanted him to suffer with the knowledge that someone else had done the Angel's Maneuver." His eyes were filled with regret. "He injured someone from our troupe, you see. So what better way to get back at him than to win with the maneuver he was never able to do?"

Sora's heart twinge for their troupe member, but she didn't understand the situation.

"Mute," Sora started with sympathy.

The squeeze of Mute's hand had her stop. "We were wrong, Sora. Please, forgive us."

"Ok," Sora said in a small voice, a tear slipping out.

Mute gave a heart breaking smile tainted with pain. "I never met her, but, from what I've heard, you seem to have a similar heart as Sophie."

Sora blinked, making another tear roll down her cheek. "Who?"

"She was petite, but pretty; I saw a picture in an old newspaper clipping once," Mute rambled as the medication kicked in, making him drowsy. "How Leon had such a person as a partner, I'll never understand," he trailed off, his eyes closing in rest. "It's always…the…nice ones…that…die…"

Sora stiffened from Mute's words.

Yuri called out her name, having been standing by for some time now.

"We need to go."

Sora stood up and waved to Alice.

They walked in silence for a while as Sora worked out what the pair had said to her a few moments ago and what they said in the waiting room about three years ago and the Angel's Maneuver. She also recalled Leon's reaction to Mute and Alice trying to do the maneuver.

_I think…I know who 'he' is…_

"Yuri," she murmured, "Were Leon and his partner the ones that tried to do the Angel's Maneuver three years ago?"

Yuri paused by the curtain separating them and the stage.

"Yes," he said and then walked past the curtain.

IN

Sora swung to gain momentum.

Her movements were sure, but her heart was not.

_Mute and Alice, Leon and Sophie, and then other people like Mr. and Mrs. Pavloff…_

_ "Thanks to you, Kaleido Stage," Mr. Pavloff spat out at Sora after Mute and Alice left the waiting room, "All we have left are tiny fragments of a shattered dream."_

Sora's eyes watered as she and Yuri's hands connected and he lifted her up as she pushed off.

So many dreams unrealized, so much strife and hardship within such a callous environment…She didn't know how performers could continue to participate in this so called 'festival.'

Her heart ached as Mute's words echoed in her head.

_'…the nice ones…that…die…'_

_'…die…'_

She floated up in the air, but she didn't notice it, nor the exclamations of the audience as she did a part of a maneuver that had not been done before. Tears streamed in down her face, she couldn't stomach to continue.

"I can't!" she sobbed into her hands as she covered her face.

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	86. Chapter 86

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After Layla presented May and Leon with a trophy, a runner came to the waiting room to get Sora.

"Mademoiselle Hamilton wishes to speak to you," the young man said in an accented voice.

Sora used a tissue to wipe her face.

IN

Before Sora could greet Layla, the now actress spoke first from over by the chair looking out the window. Still in her baby blue gown and her long blonde hair down and shining under the fading sunlight, Layla made an imposing figure.

"You quit during your performance," Layla clipped, still not turning around to face Sora. "You and Yuri could have won with that maneuver."

"I'm sorry," Sora murmured, her eyes still a little red from crying earlier. "But I couldn't go through with it."

There was a tense silence; Sora could hear the old clock ticking in Layla's resting room as she waited for her old partner to say something else. Deep down, she hoped it was sympathetic, though she wasn't sure if it would be, judging by Layla's words to her as of late.

"You're the worst," came Layla's frosted words.

Sora's insides squeezed, but she kept her tears at bay.

"And you," Sora quietly said as she felt the hurt put a bite to her words, "are cold."

She didn't bother to wait for Layla to dismiss her.

IN

Leon was a little frantic.

He had been shocked again when he saw Sora doing the Angel's Maneuver; in all honesty, he wouldn't have minded her doing it if it weren't for the fact that it was with _Yuri_. However, the building irritation sputtered upon seeing the tears falling from her face. Thanks to the stage lights, the water droplets twinkled as they fell down from her.

She had been beautiful, but tragic.

When Layla gave him and May the trophy, he wanted to glare at the woman. It was because of her that Sora was participating instead of being in the audience. All of that shouldering of Sora's disgust, all of that pain he had endured to keep her from the festival…it all amounted to nothing since Layla's words had prompted the redhead to seek out Yuri.

_How I despise her even more._

Sora was in the festival, seeing and experiencing the things he didn't want her to go through.

He had seen it on her face as she limply hung from Yuri's hands as a lift was brought out to get the performers down safely.

She had looked defeated then.

And that was worrisome.

IN

Immediately after arriving back at the hotel, Sora made for her room.

Alone in the elevator, she stood with her head hung down and her duffle bag on her shoulder. She was still in her costume, not wanting to stay at the location of the competition for any more time than what was necessary.

_My old partner's no longer someone I can rely on, the stage and audience at the festival were terrible._

Friendship did not matter here; camaraderie and goodwill did not even exist.

She bit her bottom lip. _I've not encounter a place like this before…or people._

Was it the place or the people that made the festival a nightmare?

She wasn't so sure.

The elevator dinged. Numbly, with her head down, she walked out of it and to her door. Her hand blindly felt for her room key in her duffle bag's smaller pocket. She paused in her steps as a figure stood in front of her door, still looking at it as he knocked and waited.

A little off balanced, she said, "No cleaning tonight," with a wiry tone.

Leon turned his head to look at her. He wore his charcoal coat with his demon's costume still on, though without his devil's horn. She waited for him to speak, but as the seconds passed, he stayed silent.

"What are you doing here?" she tiredly asked. "Aren't you supposed to be celebrating or something?"

Her words helped prompt his speech. "I don't care about the win."

She nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah…you didn't want to come in the first place."

She stepped forward to unlock her door. Leon stepped aside in order to give her the room to do so. As she slid the room card the wrong way and then flipped it over, he saw the red eyes and the downtrodden spirit that radiated from her.

As she turned the doorknob, his hand reached out to grasp hers.

"I didn't want you to come," he murmured, his other hand coming up to touch her upper cheek underneath her eye, "because I was afraid of this happening."

Her eyes watered.

"Why is it like this?" she nearly whimpered out.

He sighed. "There is no clear answer."

She rapidly blinked as she tried to keep from bawling in front of him. Many words and conversations from the day ran through her mind, Mute's comment about Leon's partner dying coming to the forefront given that Leon was standing here, touching her.

"I'm sorry about your old partner," she murmured.

He flinched, but did not say anything. After a few moments, he nodded his head at the condolence once he was able to compose himself.

She wondered then, about several things concerning Leon Oswald. She couldn't possibly get answers for all of the wonderings, but there were a few she needed to know at the moment.

"Are you upset about the Angel's Maneuver?"

His hand trailed down her cheek. "At first, yes, but now…" he shook his head.

Her hand came up to grasp his as she looked intently at him.

"Did…" she swallowed, impending tears making her throat tight, "Did the festival change you?"

His eyes connected with hers without the wall of stone and ice in the way.

Old scars showed and open wounds gaped and bled as if they had recently been made. Some tears slid down her face upon seeing it, but amongst the wounds she could see a strength and will that has carried and sustained him for many years.

She was in awe of him, craving for that fortitude at the moment.

Her lips parted to speak, but only a half whimper came out. Her vision blurred as the tears built up and poured out of her eyes, no longer able to contain the sorrows of the day any more. Her hands came up again to cover her face as she did what she didn't want to do in front of him.

She bawled.

He came forward and held her to him. Her arms wrapped around him and her legs followed, needing the strength that he had that she so desperately needed at the moment.

She sobbed against his neck, her hands fisting his coat tightly as her body trembled and wracked with all of the disappointment people had given her, all the spite and anger for her and for the stage she so loved to perform on, even a smaller role. Her legs tightened around his waist and her arms had a firm hold around his neck as she longed for approval and all the positive emotions that she didn't encounter today.

She hiccupped, cried, got snot and tears on him.

He pushed her room door open and carried her in.

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AN: If you can't tell, I didn't like Layla's behavior during the Circus Festival.


	87. Chapter 87

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He knew not how long he lay with her on the bed, stroking her back and running his fingers through her hair. He had initially gone for the couch, but the short furniture proved to be more difficult to accommodate them both since she refused to let go of his form.

Not that he had an issue with that.

She sniffled against his chest as her cries abated. To him, it was ironic that he was comforting her, especially while they were still in costume. _An angel in the arms of a demon…_

The world had a sense of humor he didn't understand, even after all this time.

He sighed, his chest expanding a little and then settling down again. His fingers continued their soothing motion through her hair, admiring the soft locks that he missed feeling.

"I think…" she half croaked out after being left to her thoughts for a while, "that you were right."

His hand paused in her hair.

She loosened an arm from around him in order to touch his hair. His silky locks felt cool and for a while, she was content to occupy herself with his hair. Her fingers moved over to the medallion that had slipped out from beneath his costume.

She idly made circles with her forefinger against the medal.

"…She said I was the worst," she whispered, a sound so faint.

His eyes narrowed at the slight shame he heard in her voice. "Do you regret not going through with the maneuver?"

He felt her breathe out a long, tired breath.

"If I had won," she started in a low voice, "especially with Yuri as my partner and Layla there to give the trophy, it would have been a repeat of Layla's win three years ago. It wouldn't feel like I personally won."

"Thinking back, Layla had been the one to call Yuri to look for me in France." She blankly stared at his silver hair over his shoulder as it draped over his dark costume. "Even so," she murmured, "a part of me is insistent that she hadn't meant to make me a copy of herself."

Her head shifted in order to look directly at his face. "Maybe she just thought I needed to go through what she did, or some part of her is still reluctant to completely let go of the Kaleido Stage." She half shrugged. "I don't know what, but I still don't think she had ill intentions to begin with."

He was silent; she didn't mind the lack of response.

Just when she started to move her head back under his chin to rest, felt his hand lightly grip her chin up to him.

"You see now," he murmured.

After that, he stayed silent, his eyes and the slight smile on his face told her many things not necessarily relating to Layla or the festival. She wasn't certain if she was seeing the things he wanted her to see, but the entering warmth in his eyes made her feel that hidden affection she locked up during the chaos of the trials.

_Here I was looking for the good in people around me when it's in him._

How could he be an icon of fear, but also caring was certainly a mind twister; however, his embrace at the moment meant more to her than the title. His hand brushed the few tears that leaked out. A little embarrassed, she brought the tissue he gave her earlier to wipe her face.

She laughed a little. "I must be a mess."

"Yes," he said with a half smirk.

She pinched his side, making him flinch. She let loose a small smile as he nipped her cheek, her jaw, her chin and then her underjaw.

The smile faded as her lashes fluttered upon feeling his lips on her neck.

They shifted a little on the bed, no longer facing each other on their sides. She was on her back as he leaned over her, kissing her cheeks and barely brushing her lips.

Her eyes half closed as his teeth bit his way up to her ear.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured, "if you don't want me to continue."

Her lips stayed closed; he waited a few seconds more and then his hand drifted over her exposed leg of the costume, relishing in the shaky breath she let out. The hand ran along her side and over her stomach, fingers teasing the hem of her top.

His fingers trailed along the area where her ribs were, gauging her reaction.

She stayed quiet, except for her breathing.

His head bowed down and peppered her midriff with wet kisses. Her hands tugged at his cloak still on; he paused in kissing her skin in order to shrug it off. When he resumed his path along her stomach, her hands came back and ran along his shoulders. His eyes lidded as she touched him, but he was pulled out of the feeling when her hands rested along his face.

He went on his side and grasped her hand.

He spotted the short fingerless gloves on her hand and hooking a finger under the band near the inside of her wrist, he slowly peeled it off.

"Are you aware," he rumbled as he peeled the other glove off while keeping eye contact with her, "of what will occur?"

She stared up at him, faintly shivering as his thumb ran along her palm.

In response, she tugged at the gloves on his hands and forearms. Her fingers trailed over the sinews of muscle as she slipped the long glove off of his right arm. He shuddered at her touch and the swirling emotion in her eyes.

"You can continue," she murmured.

Her fingers threaded through his and she leaned backwards against the bed, their connected hands bringing him with her. Her legs parted to allow him to settle over her. He, having been warning her since he surely yearned for her with a strong flame but not letting it cloud his mind, finally let it consume him as she invited him to stay.

Her legs wrapped around him as he connected their mouths, reveling in her mewl as she tangled her tongue with his.

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	88. Chapter 88

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Making love to her was something that seemed taboo for him, but he was too lost in her to stop, too emotionally attached to not crave the intimate contact she gave him.

She was an angel, but with a fiery personality that called out to him.

He used to think that he was a man damned and cursed to wander the land until his body gave out from pure exhaustion. He had an impossible promise to keep, a vow he made even though he had not believed in it when he made it. They had been desperate words to appease a dying soul belonging to the last person that had held any worth to him, and had seen worth in him as well.

But now, Sora Naegino proved to him that the promise was not as hopeless as he originally thought.

Relief had loosened tense muscles of three years, but not completely relaxed them. He would still have to see if she was up to doing the full maneuver and if she would accept him as a partner.

Right now, he poured out his affection and longings into his kiss; he cradled her body with tenderness as she writhed against him, the pleasure of their joining bringing her beyond the stars and eventually back again. Her rapture was intoxicating, her moans and the brushes of her soft body against his harder one a sensation he sorely missed for a long time.

He broke away from her mouth as his face buried against her neck.

"Sora," he moaned, the heaven blessed name an ambrosia he could not tire of.

Soon, he noted the loosening of her arms and legs as her body relaxed from the extreme arch her back was in as she returned from the cosmos. She breathed hard and he joined her in the panting.

They stayed against each other as they breathed.

Long after he caught his breath, after she placed a kiss on his cheek and settled against the pillow for some rest, he stayed. He did not want to leave; he was aware that it was selfish, but he allowed himself the flaw.

In her sleep, she nestled her head under his chin.

His eyes closed, pleased with the familiar gesture.

IN

It was a little after dawn when Sora awoke.

She felt the warm body next to her, as well as the arm around her waist. Gingerly, she lifted the arm and wiggled out from under his embrace. The bed squeaked a little as she got off, grabbing the robe on the chair near her bed and made her way to the bathroom.

Upon washing her hands, she caught the dreary sight she made in the mirror. She splashed water on her face and rubbed her face clean. The hand towel lowered, revealing the slight red on her cheeks.

_He had seen my face like that._

It mortified her. But when she walked out of the bathroom and caught the sight of him lying on the bed with his silver hair against the mattress and pillow, her embarrassment ebbed as her heart clenched at the sight of him.

His face was peaceful; she was glad to see it.

IN

Dressed and showered, Leon shrugged his coat on after breakfast.

Sora had ordered some room service for him while he had been in the bathroom. She would have eaten with him but Yuri had called and asked to meet up with her for something important.

_"He sounded pretty serious," she had noted aloud._

Leon was a bit annoyed with the blonde interrupting their time together, but it wasn't like he could have stayed much longer. His flight back to Cape Mary was for the early afternoon. He needed to check out and leave time for the taxi to take him to the airport. He had made the earliest flight since he had no wish to stay in France after the festival. Though, he might have made a later flight time had he and Sora been on speaking terms during the time he booked his flight.

_It is done and booked._ He inwardly sighed at his luck.

His only consolation was that he would see her once she got back to Cape Mary.

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	89. Chapter 89

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Sora looked around the dining area for Yuri.

The blonde waved a hand over in the corner where there was the least amount of people. She tilted her head at the change in seating, but thought nothing else of it.

"Good morning Yuri."

He gave a distracted response back. She frowned at the agitated manner in which he ran his hand through his hair.

"Sora," he finally said after their drinks had been delivered, "would you mind if I just cut to the chase?"

She blinked at that. "Yuri, you're the one that called me over." She lifted her hands up in a shrug. "I have no idea what you have to say to me, so if that's what you want to do, go ahead."

He nodded absentmindedly. "I've been thinking about what Mute and Alice said and did, what with the Angel's Maneuver and Leon; I don't think I can keep quiet anymore about it."

He folded his hands and leaned forward. "I lied about where I got the maneuver."

"So then where…?" she trailed off.

"Well, I did hear about it, but that's not how I knew how to do it." He pressed on, needing to continue with the confession, "When I had passed by their practice room, the competing pair from three years ago and rising stars from France, I had initially been intrigued, but I noticed the potential it had, should they fine tune it in time for the festival. Based on their level of skill, it seemed very probable that they could..."

Her eyes widened as she caught on to what he was talking about, having gone through the festival filled with its tricks and pettiness.

"You…somehow, you _sabotaged_ Leon and Sophie?"

His violet eyes looked straight at her. "I caused his sister's death."

She froze, her blood chilling and her heart slowing down.

_His…sister?_

IN

Sora knew not how long she sat by herself at the table.

Her hot tea had gone cold before she could drink it; she refused ordering some food, knowing that she probably couldn't stomach anything at the moment.

Yuri's words ran through her mind over and over again: The Boss's warning that he'd kick Yuri and Layla out should they lose, Yuri's meeting Sophie from time to time without Leon knowing except for the one time he caught Yuri kissing his sister's hand, and then the final act…the meet up at the park before the sibling's performing slot…

_"Leon had called me from the hospital, his voice broken and pleading," Yuri numbly recalled, too lost in his memories to see the tears going down Sora's face, "Sophie was dying; she only had so much time left, what with the fatality of the accident. The doctors couldn't do anything more."_

_Yuri's eyes were unfocused as he mused, "I don't think I've heard a man sound as wretched as Leon did in that phone call."_

Sora covered her mouth as a sound of misery escaped her.

Water went over her hand as her crying renewed. Her breath was shaky as she tried to be silent all the while trying to get some air into her lungs. She couldn't find any relief, not even in the fact that Layla was ignorant of what Yuri had done, meaning that she had no part in the young woman's death.

_Leon…_

How his anger and chilling words to Yuri finally made sense now. Her head bent over as she cried for his pain, having lost her own parents in an accident as well.

_Why would so much misery come from so heavenly a maneuver?_

A choked gasp came out of her as she realized something dreadful. _I…I attempted the maneuver…the one he was going to do with his sister, I did it with Yuri…_Her face distorted. _And then I had feebly clung onto him, trying to find comfort in Leon while he was suffering through the memories of the past…_

"_Kami!"_ she strangled out of her tight throat.

How stupid could she be to not have questioned Yuri about the maneuver or even connected the dots herself?

Her shoulders shook as she recalled the tender way Leon held her and made love to her last night, the ecstasy from then now filling her with shame for having been blind to his pain. She had even seen the wounds in his eyes when he dropped his barriers for her.

She had not considered what the pain was, had not bothered to think beyond her small worries and concerns to wonder why he was not healing.

Another wracking sob went through her body. _How selfish could I be?_

She was disgusted with herself.

IN

Hours later, Leon entered his car at the airport.

He had left his vehicle in the parking lot for convenience's sake, finding it unnecessary to take a cab when he could just pay some money to leave his car here. The inside of the car smelled a little funny and the outside was dusty. He resigned himself to the fact that he was going to have to clean it before coming back to pick up Sora.

He simply sat in the car, thoughts of the redhead from the morning dancing in his mind. They had "cuddled," as she had called it, in bed for a while until he looked at the time and had to get up. The phone had rung while he was occupied. She had told him that she had to leave while he was in the shower, yet she still left him not only breakfast, but an endearing note.

_I cannot recall the last time someone wrote me a note._ It had been simple with very little written, but he had still felt his heart beat faster. Her displays of affection left him feeling lighter; he tentatively took her behavior has a good sign.

He turned on the engine and reversed out of the parking space.

IN

He had washed his car, gotten some food, and was now going through the process of unpacking.

He tossed his costume into the dirty laundry hamper along with the other clothes. He was setting his toothbrush and other bathroom items away when he recalled his cell phone in the side pocket.

He had been waiting for her call, but he forgot that it was turned off.

With a soft curse to himself, he strode back into his room. _That's what happens when a lone wolf gives out his rarely used cell phone number._ He waited as he turned it back on.

He cursed again upon seeing that he missed her call.

Sighing in irritation at his own forgetfulness, he went into his voice mail. He just hoped she didn't have any difficulties at the airport, whether it was the one in France or here.

Her voice sounded over the phone. He frowned at the shakiness of her words.

_"…wanted to call you about the change. I've already cleared it with the Boss," _she cleared her throat, _"So there's nothing to worry about in that matter. Take care, Leon. Sorry about the suddenness."_

The message ended. He hung up the mail box and numbly put his phone on the bed.

"A visit to Japan?" he murmured.

_Granted, she has family there, but why now of all times? _

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AN: Oh, these two...Things just can't go smoothly, can they?

We are entering the last stretch of chapters; I'm not sure how many, but I would like to keep the total chapters of this story under 100...or at 100. XP I'll let you know when the last chapter is up, if you would like me to.


	90. Chapter 90

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In Sora's message, she had told Leon that the visit to Japan would be for at least a week and at most two.

A month passed by.

Leon was unnaturally quiet during that time.

In the wake of the festival, he and May had returned triumphant, though only May was proud of the win between the two of them. Others congratulated them, Kalos gave them a bonus for the holidays and had Mia set up a special show with the "Demon Spiral" in it.

May was ecstatic; she didn't even notice that Leon wasn't paying attention to her.

IN

Leon was in his dressing room getting ready.

He found his thoughts preoccupied over Sora's extended stay in Japan. With the New Years' Eve show he didn't have the time to go to Japan even if he had wanted to go and find her. However, performing was not the only thing that kept him from jumping on a plane despite his lack of Japanese speaking skills.

_Why hasn't she returned my calls?_

He had only left two messages, especially when the two weeks were turning into three. After that, he had not left anymore. He left one too many already—he was surprised that his pride allowed him to have left that second voicemail—but the situation was odd. When Kalos had briefly announced her continued stay in Japan during a meeting, Leon did not push himself to leave a third message.

Leon adjusted the horn on the top of his head. As he slipped one glove and then the other, he faintly recalled her slender fingers brushing his forearms as she took them off.

_I do not understand._

Had he misread her emotions back at the hotel? Did she feel like he pushed her that night or something else along those lines?

Was his nefarious title keeping her away?

He frowned then; unsure of what to do or how to feel.

IN

Across the ocean in the apartment of the Naeginos, Sora blankly watched TV as Yume sat on her lap with a bottle in her mouth. She reached into her box of strawberry pocky and sucked on the treat.

Her aunt peeked into the living room, a light frown on her face as Sora and Yume seemed to be sucking on their items at the same pace. It would have been funny except that it was odd to see Sora doing normal teenager things such as lounging in front of a TV and snacking on some chips.

That was never a good sign.

Ever since she was a little girl, her aunt had a hard time getting Sora to just sit down long enough for her to do the young girl's hair or even to get her to color in a book for five whole minutes.

Sora was energetic; this lethargic teen seemed surreal.

IN

Some commercial was on, but Sora barely noted it.

Her aunt's soft voice had her attention. "Sora-chan, is there something wrong?"

Yume, seeing her mother looking at the redhead aka 'the big sister', tilted her head to look up at Sora. She gurgled around the rubber tip of her bottle since she was not old enough for speech, but still sensing that something was up with the adults.

Sora blinked down at the round face looking up at her.

_Even Yume's worried about me._

She hated to be upsetting the rest of her family, but she was in a strange mood. Her friends had come over four days ago for the New Year visits. It had been nice to see them again and they had helped with her feelings regarding the stage.

However, she was still upset with herself regarding Leon.

Unknowingly, her face downturned and her eyes watered a little. Her aunt came over to sit next to her. While Sora wasn't her biological child, over the years, she hardly even recalled that fact.

"My little bird," she cooed, using her nickname for her adopted daughter as she brushed her hand along Sora's bangs in a soothing manner, "I'm here for you still."

Sora's lower lip slightly trembled.

She hugged Yume to her, burying half her face behind the round head and short hair. "It's not something," Sora said, her voice slightly muffled, "that I can easily explain."

The older woman looked at Sora, gauging her next words.

"You don't have to," she finally settled on, "if you're not comfortable."

The teen relaxed her somewhat tight hug on Yume, who had been fussing a little at the hold. When the toddler stretched her arms out for her mother, Sora handed her over. Her aunt settled Yume in her arms but quickly returned her attention to the teen.

"Sora-chan," she addressed, catching the girl's attention before she settled for the continued lounging in front of the TV, "I don't think you're meant to live with clipped wings."

Sora started at that.

"Whatever the issue is, I'm sure you can work it out. Just keep trying." Her aunt stood up. "And when you need to rest, you can always come back here."

Sora watched as her aunt and mother figure took Yume to go take a nap. She grabbed a pillow and held it tightly. _Keep trying…_Maybe, just maybe, she could redeem herself somehow.

But it wasn't going to be easy, not that that's ever stopped her before.

IN

Days later, Policeman Jerry stood in the airport, waiting for a familiar redhead to finish going through security and getting her roller suitcase.

A big grin broke out on the burly man's face when Sora appeared.

"Sora!"

She let out a half smile as he came and hugged her. "Thanks for coming."

"Anything for you! It's been far too long!" Jerry laughed, "Now you can reclaim your spot as the leading lady!"

"Yeah," she said half heartedly.

_If Leon will even want me to be..._

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AN: I chose her aunt's nickname for Sora since her name means "sky," and she's a energetic person, so a flying animal sounded good to me. :P

I'm getting really busy again. I'll try to update when I can.

Thanks for reading and being patient!


	91. Chapter 91

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May was stepping out of the dorm elevator when she heard some commotion from the dorm meeting room. Looking through the large window, her eyes widened upon seeing a familiar redhead laughing amongst her friends with a slice of cake on her plate. She narrowed her eyes on the big "Welcome Back, Sora!" banner.

_They hadn't thrown me a welcome back party after the festival._

She was an international champion and the leading lady of the Kaleido Stage. If anyone should have gotten a party, it should have been her.

With a huff, she strode over to the door of the room.

IN

Sora smiled at Rosetta as the girl handed her an origami tulip.

"It's the only one I know how to do," she sheepishly said.

The redhead's smile grew. "I love it, Rosetta. Thank you!"

Ken, having been standing nearby, smiled at the exchange. He was immensely glad she had returned from Japan. _For a while, I thought she was going to quit._ He had seen the devastation on her face during the festival. In all honesty, he thought she'd shrug it off quickly, but he really should have known better.

Having been involved in the circus atmosphere for a longer time than Sora, he built an immunity to the pettiness of some performers. The circus world wasn't always a happy place to be, but it wasn't something that could be changed.

It was too much to hope for.

But it didn't mean someone had to be sucked up into that mentality.

During his time here, he found that it was easier to place his hopes in specific things and ideas, such as the Kaleido Stage as a whole or keeping a fun environment around the stage. As of late, he was placing a lot of hope in a certain _person_.

The switch had been gradual, ever since the first moment he met her.

_There really isn't anyone else like Sora._

Rosetta walked away in order to refill her drink. Ken noticed his chance, swallowing his fear for this moment of inspiration. He said her name and her brown eyes looked at him, waiting for him to continue. He swallowed again, his mouth having gone dry.

"You really have a hard time letting go," came the snide voice of May from the doorway.

All occupants of the room turned to look at her.

IN

Sora silently was glad for May's interruption.

Ken had been looking at her with that expression again and she wasn't in favor of letting go of the easy atmosphere of the little party.

"You weren't invited May, so just leave!"

Sora and company blinked at Mia. _Did she really just say that to May?_

May was taken back as well. A stirring of hurt came with those words, but May was quick to smother it over with indignation.

"Like I'd want you lame-o's throwing me some dinky little party! I'm surprised there isn't a clown here," May crossed her arms confidently, "Then again, you guys do a pretty good job of being the fools. I can see why you wouldn't hire someone."

"If you're here for a fight, go somewhere else," Anna curtly said.

"Who said I was? Maybe I want to welcome Sora back too."

The Chinese acrobat came inside. Anna made to stop her, but seeing the shake of Sora's head, Anna stayed where she was. May didn't see the exchange and stood before Sora.

"Welcome," May said with a false smile, "you missed the tryouts for the new show and we've been practicing already, so the roles are pretty much set." She tapped her forefinger against her mouth as she pretended to think. "But I'm sure I can get Kalos to make you my errand girl, if you want to be a part of the production."

Sora gripped her plate tightly.

The two stared at each other, the air tense as neither was willing to look away first. After a while, Sora let out a long breath. _I'm better than this, _she told herself. _This isn't the kind of stage I want. _With that, Sora backed down and broke the staring contest.

"That won't be necessary," Sora murmured in a fairly even voice, "I'll get my own role."

Disappointed at the anticlimactic response, May flicked a ponytail over her shoulder. She snagged a soda can from the snack table and walked over to leave. Sora was relaxing her hold on the plate when May suddenly turned her head to her.

"By the way, the dorms are full," May breezily stated, "so you'll need to find somewhere else to live."

The door slammed and her friends were hovering her.

"My room's big enough for the both of us!" Rosetta cried out, "You don't have to worry about it Sora!"

"May's just trying to get to you!" Anna shouted.

"We have some girls leaving in a few days," Sarah added, "so you'll have your own place soon enough!"

Sora thanked her friends for the reassurance, though that wasn't the part of May's speech that had her worried.

_The roles are all taken and I've missed being the leading lady again._

Was there anything left for her to do?

IN

After the party, Sora went over to the Boss' office.

She patiently waited for the elevator to stop on his floor, all the while thinking about what to say or suggesting roles she could do. _I should probably start by asking what the production is. _That would certainly give her an idea of what she could be.

The elevator halted. She got off.

She was about to open the door to the office when she heard the murmuring of voices coming from inside. She knocked.

"Wait outside," Kalos called out.

Some voices piped up and she could hear the springs of the couch, signifying that someone was getting up. Sora quickly backtracked away from the door as it swung open, revealing an extremely familiar face.

"Cathy?"

The woman grinned. "Sora! Long time no see! I'm glad you're back from your vacation."

As the cherry haired woman shook hands with Sora, Layla stepped out from behind. The blonde gave a quick, "Sora," and then left the hallway. Sora rapidly blinked at her retreating form and turned to look at Cathy to ask her what they were doing here.

Sora swallowed when Leon stepped out of the office.

She saw his eye twitch. She was surprised that they hadn't widened if he was shocked by her being there. _What does an eye twitch mean? _

Was it bad? Was it annoyance?

Or was it evidence of straining anger?

She didn't know, nor was she eager to find out what it was. She swallowed then, as Cathy let go of her hand and left with a quick "See ya later, kiddo!"

Leon scrutinized her; she stayed still, not wanting to run from him like she had at the hotel. No, that would tell him that she was afraid of him when she really wasn't. She was nervous of his reaction to her reappearance after disappearing for so long, but otherwise, she didn't fear him as a threat to her well-being.

Finally, he spoke. "Welcome back."

"It," she swallowed again, "It's good to be back."

His face was unreadable. "Is it?"

She tilted her head at the curious statement. _Of course it is. _She couldn't see what would make it bad when she recalled the twitch of his eye. _Does this mean, _she thought with a squeeze of her heart, _that he doesn't think it's good I'm back?_

Did he realize what she had after Yuri's story? Was Leon now upset at her for doing the maneuver with Yuri?

Was he disgusted with her as she had been with herself?

The back of her throat stung. She hoped her eyes weren't watering.

Kalos called out for the next person to come in. Sora looked away and headed for the door. Leon lingered for a moment and then let her go inside, walking down the hall to the elevator.

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	92. Chapter 92

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Weeks passed by and Sora was doing many tasks.

She was a runner, a janitor, an usher, wardrobe picker-upper or deliverer, set out the props, stage crew helper…Anything that people needed help with, she was on it.

With her bag of rolled up posters and heavy duty stapler, she went about replacing any posters that had been damaged in the recent rainstorm. The new ones were laminated in order to prevent the need of redoing the task. Humming, she took down the ruined poster and took the rubber band off of a rolled up one.

She paused with the poster in hand, taking in how Leon and May looked as _Romeo and Juliet_.

She swallowed and then pushed her thoughts aside.

With one hand keeping the poster against the board, she resumed her humming as she stapled the new poster.

IN

Opening night had been a success.

May had soaked up the applause. She had even gotten a few roses from them. The attention from the fans had covered up the lack of attention from Leon. She really hadn't noticed it for a good two weeks until she had been searching for him one night when they were needed on the main stage for practice and advice from Cathy.

The night had been chilly, causing his long silver hair to flutter as he leaned on the railing looking at something.

She couldn't say that she still had romantic feelings for him. After him dropping her during _Dracula _and then his strange absence after they won their trophies at the Circus Festival, she wasn't keen on having him as a boyfriend anymore.

Though, she was still attracted to him.

_He's one of those guys that are great to look at, but not really boyfriend material._ _Eye candy_, she mentally supposed. _I guess that's why he hasn't been taken before._

"Leon, we're needed inside."

He stayed by the railing, looking at whatever had his attention. She had wondered if he had heard her when he suddenly stood up and walked over to the building. Curious about what had his attention, May peered over the edge of the bluff that overlooked the property.

Her jaw dropped upon seeing Sora wiping down the orb poster near the entrance.

_He was looking at her?_ She didn't think Leon had an interest in Sora anymore after her failure to become his partner for the festival. _Sora didn't even win! I did!_

May frowned. _Can I say I won over her if she dropped out?_

She closed her mouth with a snap of her jaw. That could be a valid reason why Leon was looking at Sora. Her win hadn't been definitive. The battle for the position of Leon's partner was not over.

Her hands clenched tightly.

IN

Kalos paid his cab fare and then straightened up.

When Sora returned to do manual labor, Kalos hid his car so that Sarah couldn't exact revenge on it. He was getting tired of having to go to a car shop to repaint the car or fix whatever damage she did that she felt was warranted.

He had offered Sora a role as a member of either the Capulets or the Montagues, however she politely declined it. It was a minor role, but he had the feeling that she refused it for some other reason.

He adjusted his glasses and made his way over to the office. He would respect her decision for now, as long as it helped her overcome whatever qualms she had with performing. Many people were expecting great things from her, himself included. He didn't think it would hurt to wait for her to tell him when she was ready, especially without having a partner for her to perform with at the moment.

As he walked across the property, he spied Leon near the main stage building. Kalos frowned a little upon seeing Leon standing there with his head tilted up. The owner of the stage followed Leon's gaze up the building.

A smirk threatened to appear with the sight of a familiar redhead washing a window from atop a long ladder. She was oblivious to Leon's presence as she continued with her duty. Kalos casually slipped his hands into his pockets and walked off.

_She may have a partner soon enough._

Then Sarah can stop terrorizing his car.

IN

After washing the smudge off of the window, Sora took out her checklist of duties for the day.

Taking her small pencil out, she crossed off another task.

_Right, so now I need to put the special show programs in the VIP boxes._ _Should I have lunch before or after that?_ She pulled out her phone and checked the time. There was more than enough time for her to get another task done before her break. She nodded to herself and slipped the pencil and paper back into her pockets.

Her blue crew member button up shirt fluttered a little as she jogged over to get the programs, having preferred to leave it unbuttoned. As she passed by the main stage, she could hear the trumpets as they practiced.

_I just have to enter quietly when I'm laying down the pamphlets._

It wouldn't be nice if she interrupted the practice.

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Cathy sat with a light frown on her face.

She stole a look over at Mia, seeing that the teen wasn't all too thrilled with the practice as well. _Good. At least she can recognize when things aren't working._ She didn't know what was eating at the leads, but something was draining out the energy of their performance.

_They were doing fine in the beginning of the performances._ She couldn't fathom what had happened to make them this bad.

When Leon spun above May instead of with her, Cathy had enough.

"Alright, cut the music!"

The trumpets sputtered out. The director stood up with her hands on her hips. "You two, front and center!" Her hand pointed at May and Leon and then with a snap of her fingers she pointed in front of her.

May looked taken aback to the demand while Leon looked impassive.

"Come on people, we don't have all day!"

At that, May scrambled over while Leon took his time.

IN

Layla stood by as Cathy lectured the two.

Today was the last day Layla was staying, as was the agreement. Leon had been upset—at least for him—over her presence at the stage again and had called for a meeting with Kalos early on. He didn't see the need for her to be here when Cathy was the one helping Mia with directing. Layla could tell that Kalos had been intrigued by Leon's statement, though she doubted he knew what spurred them on.

Layla knew. Shortly after the festival, Yuri had paid her a visit.

She was sure that her presence rubbed Leon the wrong way because of what happened at the festival three years ago. In a rare moment of understanding, she could see how uncomfortable he would be, having lost her mother during her childhood. Rooms and random little things had set her off that reminded her of her mother; her father had finally decided to sell the house and move, putting most of her mother's things in storage.

She secretly kept a few mementos, but she was otherwise glad for her father's decision.

And so, she didn't put up a fuss over shortening her visit.

IN

What Layla didn't know was that her assumption was only one part of Leon's agitation over her being at the stage. He fervently stood by the idea that Layla was preventing Sora from growing. So when she showed up on the property he was afraid of Sora getting stuck back under Layla's thumb.

He had threatened to leave if Layla was going to stay.

It had been a gamble on his part. Kalos benefited by having the winning pair of the festival at his stage, but Leon hadn't been certain if that would have been enough for Kalos to not let Layla stay. If Layla was going to stay for her original duration, Leon didn't think he could stomach being here for that.

He would not be a witness to Sora's decline.

Layla Hamilton had the strong power to overwhelm the girl and given how raw Sora's feelings were at the hotel, Leon wasn't certain if she currently had the strength to fend off Layla's words.

Those thoughts had been during the middle of Sora's third week in Japan.

As the weeks went by with her back, Leon could see that there was still a bit of tenderness from the festival, but she wasn't as vulnerable as during the competition. He had more faith in her ability to ward off Layla.

But he didn't think she was receptive to the idea of being his partner.

The squeaking of the doors pulled him from his thoughts.

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Cathy turned towards the sound and a wide grin appeared on her face.

"Oh Sora!"

Said teen stiffened upon being called on. By the expression on her face, it was noticeable that she hadn't meant to draw attention to herself. She probably could have easily sneaked in if the music was still playing, but with Cathy's heated lecture, the sound had been turned off.

There was no energy in the performance and here was a performer that could jumpstart it, based on what Cathy saw in New York.

"Could you do me a favor and come over here?"

Sora blinked and shifted the short stack of programs to her other arm. She began to walk down the steps to Cathy. "What do you need me to do?"

"I want to see your version of Juliet."

The words stunned the whole room. Sora's foot hovered over a step going down for a few moments and then she placed it down on the step going back up.

IN

Leon stared intently at her.

He could see her conflicted over wanting to perform and not wanting to come down any further. In the corner of his eye, he saw May look back at him and she made some irritated sound upon seeing his attention on Sora. He did not care what May thought at the moment.

He wanted to know what Sora would choose.

IN

May and Sora saw Cathy's request as an opportunity.

Sora wanted a chance to be the leading lady for the longest time and here it was, being offered to her. She was certain of her skills and her abilities, having been keeping up with her training so that when she fully returned to the stage, she'd be ready.

But was she really ready to accept it?

May wanted, once and for all, to have Leon's full acknowledgment as his partner. Now was the time for Sora to perform and then May would go again with her renewed energy. She'd take down Sora in front of everyone and no one could deny that May was the better option.

This would be the deciding match, May was sure of it.

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AN: We're getting close! Ahh!

Side note: I've created a forum for Kaleido Star called "KS Think Tank!" to prompt story ideas as well as ponderings about the anime. But it's mainly for story ideas. :P


	93. Chapter 93

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The room waited with bated breath.

Her friends silently goaded Sora to take Cathy up on the offer.

Ken was especially enthusiastic for her. Here was the chance for Sora to return to the main stage and receive the attention she was meant to. The applause would be for her and she would actually enjoy it. He had seen Sora wistfully looking at the stage as the audience cheered for May and Leon. She craved the applause, he just knew it.

He wasn't too excited that Leon would be her partner, but he was willing to push that aside in order to see her as the leading lady again.

Sora chanced a glance at Leon. Even from this distance, Leon saw the hard swallow Sora did. From that action, he knew what her choice was.

He inwardly sighed. _Another rejection._

IN

After hearing Sora's refusal the room erupted, but none reacted as strongly as May did.

Her eyes were alit with anger.

In her fury, she ran up the remaining steps and slapped Sora across the face. She didn't hold back, hoping the physical attack would incense the girl like she did in New York. Once Sora's anger was stirred, then their last competition could take place.

The programs fell out of Sora's hands with the hit.

Brown eyes were wide and her cheek throbbed a bright red. She straightened herself up again and when she moved, May was prepared for her attack.

However, Sora merely bent over to pick up the programs that fell. "I'm not doing it," she murmured. "You have the role already; there's no point in showing my version of Juliet."

May trembled in anger. She wasn't getting the fight that she wanted.

"Coward!" May spat.

Sora continued to pick up the papers as May stomped by her on the steps.

IN

Ken was shocked. _I really thought she'd take the opportunity._

However, he wasn't able to analyze the reasons why she didn't as Cathy called for the practice to continue, meaning that Ken had to cue the sounds and lights again.

After the practice, he went over to the dining hall to grab something when he spotted Sora at the very beginning of the line. _She hasn't eaten yet._ He squared his shoulders as he realized the perfect chance he had right now.

"Sora," he called.

The teen looked over, her eyes a little despondent.

"Would you like to grab some lunch?" he said in one breath.

Her eyes rounded.

"I know there's food here," he rambled, gesturing around them, "but I thought that it might be nice to eat somewhere off of the property. You know, a change of scenery."

She opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed them. She seemed to be considering something and he waited, hoping she'd say yes.

"We're just having lunch?"

He blinked at that, not having expected her to ask that. He swallowed at the question as his palms grew sweaty. '_Just lunch' like we 'just kissed'? _he inwardly reflected in a scolding tone to himself. He should have handled that kiss better; he knew it and so did Mia, judging by all the dating advice she'd give him from time to time.

Though, that old dating book had to be the most embarrassing thing Mia gave him.

"Yes," he said, not willing to let this moment pass. He'd think about an actual date later, but for now, this would do.

She mulled that over for a few seconds.

"Alright."

IN

Since neither one had a car and the bus would have taken longer than their break allowed, they headed over to the boardwalk along the beach.

There were a few food venders there; he just hoped they had options she liked.

IN

Leon had been walking over to his car when he saw them.

Side by side, they strolled along the sand.

The way things were between them at the moment did not warrant a strong reaction, however, he was still trying to understand her absence and his emotions regarding her second rejection of him as a partner.

An old memory came to him as Ken's hand made to touch her shoulder. Leon could hear her voice telling him that he didn't have to worry about Ken as her fingers stroked his face and they lay skin on skin beneath his sheets.

His hand fisted his keys, not caring that the jagged grooves were digging into his hand.

_'Ken's only a friend'_ she had said.

Right now, he wasn't sure about that.

IN

To Sora's relief, the lunch had just been that: lunch.

_For a while there I thought he was going to say it was a date._

She wasn't sure what she would have done if he had asked her as a date. She knew that she couldn't accept it, knowing that she didn't feel that way. The only option would have been to refuse and then she'd be upset with herself over breaking his heart.

She had enough on her plate at the moment, especially now that May took every opportunity to glower at her.

It was not that Ken was a burden.

No matter how things were between them, she didn't think she could ever see him in such a light. He had been the first to help her and along with Jerry, he believed in her abilities even when she doubted herself.

She will forever be grateful for him in that manner.

Her life right now, her dream stage and other things that were connected to those, were weighing heavily on her. She was sure that her refusal to play Juliet was correct. She didn't want to gain a role in that way.

And as for Leon, she hoped he understood her decision.

She sighed as she was backstage sorting the costumes out. _Lunch had been pretty relaxing._ She hadn't known eating something as simple as a hot dog by the beach would have calmed her down so much. _I should try it more often._

Some runners from wardrobe came to her.

"I need the Montague servants' outfits!"

"And I need Tybalt's!"

She pushed her thoughts aside and got into her business mode. "Ok, just give me a second."

IN

The night air was chilly; Sora wished she had snagged her jacket before walking Ken out to his bus.

They waved good night to each other soon enough.

With a shudder, she hunched her shoulders in a sorry attempt to get warm. Just as she was turning around and walking back with her hands rubbing her arms, _his _voice sounded from somewhere.

"Where is your jacket?"

Her eyes widened as Leon stepped out from the shadow of the tree he was waiting by. She shivered again, but not because of the cold. There was something _unstable_ about him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it as she took in his form in his charcoal coat and blue scarf.

He seemed normal enough…

"I forgot it," she said.

"So I see," came his wiry voice.

When he made to take off his coat, she lifted her hand up. "Please, keep your coat."

Something flickered across his face. She grew nervous upon seeing it.

"Are you afraid of it infecting you," he tightly clipped, "seeing as it was on me?"

Her brows furrowed. "No. It's just that it's my fault for forgetting my jacket. You shouldn't have to go cold for that."

He was silent for a few moments. Then, he shifted a little and his eyes looked off to the side of her.

"I saw you earlier with Ken."

His statement had been spoken in so low of a tone; she had to lean in a little to catch it.

"We were having lunch."

He frowned. The motion along with the night shadows made the tired lines around his eyes more pronounced. She stepped up to him, her hand coming up to lightly touch his face.

He violently flinched. Her hand quickly withdrew.

"Leon," she started, concern filling her voice and showing on her face as she frowned, "are you alright?"

She gasped as his eyes connected with hers and his hand wrapped around her wrist. The passing car lights shone on his face, highlighting the wild gleam in his eyes. She trembled a little, never having seen him so unsettled before.

"Why are you still rejecting me?"

She whimpered as he grabbed her free hand that had been trying to get him to release her wrist.

"Let go Leon," she said as she attempted to pull her wrists free.

He spoke on as if he hadn't heard her or noticed her thrashing. "I waited for you to come back, but you stayed away. Why? Did I misunderstand you? Had I been blind to what you wanted from me?"

"You're scaring me!" she cried as he pulled her to him.

Her words finally broke through to him. He suddenly released her, taking in long breaths as he attempted to get his mind under control. She continued to stare at him wide eyed. Her big eyes made him shake himself.

When he lifted a hand to touch her on the shoulder, she started.

Having not thought about her surroundings or the time of day, she ran off into the street, not wanting to let him grab her again with that gleam in his eyes.

Her action triggered a very old and terrifying memory.

He saw Sora running into the street, but another figure was beside her, running with her. His heart skipped and slowed down, seeing the two most important people in his life amidst the traffic and a blinding light began to creep upon their figures, its sickening rays first touching-

"Sophie!"

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AN: Ok, I like SXL, but what in the world Leon?!

He went craycray in that one episode when he popped out of nowhere in the middle of the night to talk to Sora. I remembered screaming when he grabbed her.

That is _not _the way you make someone your partner... *shakes head*


	94. Chapter 94

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Leon's yell startled her.

She turned her head around and her jaw dropped upon seeing him running in the street after her. A horn honked and she cried out as he was almost hit by a car. Her heart thudded very loudly and then before she knew it he was grabbing her and pulling her off of the street.

She allowed him to, not fighting over the issue.

IN

When he got to Sora, he distinctly felt another presence along his left arm.

As he pulled Sora off of the street along his right arm, Sophie was along his left. Relief flooded his senses with such a force, he hadn't even noticed that he had dragged them too far.

They were going down, the surface no longer flat.

IN

Sora clung onto him very tightly as they rolled down the grassy hill.

Her breath escaped her as she was the one beneath him when they finally stopped. She breathed in precious air, her mind a whirling storm as she realized many things. For one, he almost got hit by a car in trying to get to her. The other emotion that she felt, the moment when she feared for his life, tapped into her old heartache concerning her parents' death.

Her eyes flooded with tears.

Within the span of a few seconds, he could have no longer been walking the world of the living. He could have been a shadow in her memories, an aching throb in her heart as his death made her regret the things she didn't say or do while he was still alive.

Her arms tightly held onto him as if the Grim Reaper was just waiting for her to let go so he could claim Leon's soul.

"_No!" _she cried out, not noticing that she had slipped into her mother tongue, "_He's not yours to take!_"

Her body trembled hard, though this time not in fear _of_ Leon, but _for _Leon.

"_Not yet" _she whimpered, her previous energy deteriorating as her emotions morphed and the events of a few seconds ago fully crashed into her psyche.

Her face buried into his hair and shoulder.

IN

He was not aware of how long he laid on her, but he was aware of her tight grip on him and her trembling.

He sighed as his face buried against her neck, feeling her pulse rapidly beating.

"_Thank God_" he murmured in French.

He didn't know what he would have done if she had gotten hit. It would have torn at him for he had been the cause of her running out into the street. What could have occurred shook his insides with a frightening intensity.

His hand touched the side of her face. "_Thank God_" he repeated emphatically.

Upon his touch, her head lifted off of his shoulder. He saw her watery eyes and he felt his heart stir and the fear of not seeing her with life in her eyes again made him lean down and claim her mouth in a hard kiss. Her hands went into his hair and she pressed him to her, returning his kiss with her own desire for reassurance and the need to be close.

It was very raw and messy, not at all like the sensual kisses or the playful nips they had shared in the past. Hands gripped and pulled hair; her nails dug into his skin and scalp while he was relentless in pushing her against the grass.

Teeth tongue lips…it was all the same.

Their breathing came in and out of their noses in a harsh sound. They were the other's oxygen mask; if they pulled away right now, they would sink and drown in their fear. They would suffocate on the dreaded "what ifs" that plagued the mind even when a danger is avoided.

Just as quickly as the raw feelings came, it left as her fingers relaxed from digging her nails into him. His pushing eased and the force of the kiss wasn't so hard anymore.

Tongues soothed and lips brushed.

She moved beneath him as her body came alive; her writhing drew a throaty moan from him. She mewled as he pushed back against her. Her neck suddenly arched against the grass as he rolled his body against her.

She could see herself falling out of her sanity and into him if she hadn't already done so when they first kissed. Her eyes closed as she rolled her body back against him, hearing his groan and loving every nuance she perceived in it.

This moment of insanity was her paradise; she could not have dreamed anything sweeter even if she tried every night for the rest of her life.

She relaxed the arch of her neck and her hand lay against the back of his head, bringing him to her so that they could kiss. He obliged her, relenting in his rolls in favor of her lips.

They kissed again.

Soft, sweet…he felt like it was the first time he was kissing her as he marveled in her lips.

The traffic from above filtered down into their perfect isolation.

The alarming sound of a horn honking had him pulling away with a stab of fright. He suddenly remembered something and he looked around to find what he had thought he felt when he first pulled Sora off of the street.

"Where's Sophie?" he murmured, the car horn having thrown him off.

For some reason, his question did not startle her as it would have just mere minutes ago when he first approached her on the street.

She merely laid her hand against his cheek. "Sophie died, Leon," she sympathetically murmured. "It was three years ago at the festival."

The memories that had momentarily clouded his eyes suddenly cleared. "Yes," he blankly nodded. The light relief that had flooded his senses no longer existed as his failure came back and weighed on his soul once again.

Sora shifted a little in discomfort. "You're heavy."

"I thought you like my weight," he idly said as he regained his sanity.

She let out a soft huff. "Not all of it."

Her statement cleared his head entirely. "I would imagine not," he quietly stated.

She blinked upon hearing his heavy words, but he got up before she could question him. His hand outstretched for her to grab and she did, being set straight on her feet. After that, he walked off to the parking lot. She dusted herself and then walked along the bottom of the hill to get to her dorm.

Both missed the figure hovering above them, having seen what occurred on the hill.

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AN: This chapter actually didn't give me too much trouble.

Things sort of just flowed out, though I'm not sure if all of the mixed emotions and their actions seem too strange/bizarre. XP Made sense to me in a twisted, angsty way.

Not sure if that's a bad sign or not. XD


	95. Chapter 95

AN: The last two chapters sure did get reactions. Haha! Thanks for reviewing and reading! We're almost there!

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A few days later, Sora was surprised to find Leon subdued once again.

Given the hectic happening of that one night, she didn't know what to make of his brooding. It didn't make her happy to see him that way and before she could bat the idea around even more, she decided to try to get him to snap out of it.

When she passed him backstage, she made a point to give a little wave or nod and then continued on her duties. He didn't respond back to them, but the fact that he saw them was enough for her at this point in time.

What her purpose in doing the waves, her desire to redeem herself not only in her own mind but in his as well, and the notion she had that he had mixed feelings about her return to Kaleido Stage left her insides all knotted up inside. She wasn't sure what to do other than to continue as she had been and biding her time for the next show tryouts.

She didn't want conflict on the stage.

She paused in putting the programs on the chairs. _May and Leon have no qualms over fighting._ They both didn't shy away from confrontation; and in a way, neither did she. However, if there was a way to solve something without fighting, Sora was more inclined to follow that route, even if it was more difficult to pull off.

Her fingers idly traced the image of Leon's long hair.

_I'll help you to see it._

She often thought about that night in the hotel and the peaceful expression that had been on Leon's face as he slept. _If there is anyone that could use some rest, it's you._ His mind and heart were troubled; she had seen it firsthand. She was determined to not see it again, if possible.

_There won't be a reason for you to feel that way anymore._

Her fingers reached the end of his hair. She blinked and recalled that she had some duties to accomplish before the next showing. She laid the last program down and then picked up the empty cardboard box she had left in the aisle.

Once she recycled the box, she took out her small pencil and piece of paper with her to do list. As she scratched out the programs duty, her pencil hovered over the paper, seeing the thin blank space at the very bottom.

She went to that spot and scribbled down:

'_Conflict free stage'_

She was going to go below that to add her second goal when she paused, dissatisfied with that idea. Instead, she went back to what she just wrote and added the other goal right next to the earlier words, putting both on the same level of importance.

'_Conflict free stage and helping Leon regain his peace.'_

She was aware that Leon's peace of mind could involve her no longer being a part of it. If she was somehow a cause of his unsettled state, then she will leave him be.

She will find the strength to carry that out.

His peace will eventually be a part of her peace. There wouldn't be anything else she would ask of him. He had been her comfort when she was on the edge of despair at the festival, despite how selfish she had been in thinking only about her feelings when he was suffering inside.

She will not repeat that oversight.

IN

Leon stretched backstage as he stared at the back of Sora's head.

She was nodding to whatever the head of the stage crew was telling her and the rest of them. He had noted that she was making small acts of acknowledgment to him within these last few days even though he did not return them.

He didn't know what to make of them.

_Is she letting me know that she holds no hard feelings for my mental slip that night?_ It was not a light matter that had occurred; he would not have blamed her if she had decided to keep her distance. Yet, the opposite occurred which left him wondering.

It also gave him a new level of appreciation for her.

He could not count the number of times he wanted to approach her, touch her, kiss her, make love to her even in some abandoned corridor. It didn't help that they had kissed and rolled into each other a few nights ago. His longings were renewed, but some humiliation kept him from enacting on that yearning.

_I lost control._

It was practically unheard of.

The only other times he had not been mentally all there had been after the deaths of his parents and then, of course, Sophie's death.

Especially her death.

It had been a rude awakening and a harsh reminder of the hardships that could be found within the circus world. He had thought that his time with Alen had been the peak of hardship; he had been devastatingly incorrect in that assumption.

Because of those experiences, he couldn't allow himself to be optimistic about Sora's recent behavior.

He heard her laugh as he bent over backwards to stretch some more. She must have felt his stare for she turned her head towards him. Instead of looking uncomfortable and then averting her eyes, she simply tilted her head in thought.

A smile appeared on her face; he reveled in it.

She approached and he didn't dare move for fear of her retreating.

"Hello Leon."

He stayed quiet. he was still trying to get over the fact that she had no qualms about approaching him in front of the rest of the cast and crew members. Their interactions in the past had been in secret. He filed that development away for future ruminating.

"They said today's not as packed," he was amused to see her eyes widen at her poor choice of words, "not to say that the show isn't great! I just meant that you and May won't have to be in costume for so long after the show!" She nervously laughed in an attempt to hide her mistake. "Anyways, I'll be spreading the petals down for today so let's both make today a fun show!"

She began to walk away when she paused for a moment to add one last thing.

"Break a leg!" she chirruped, and then she was off.

Leon straightened up from his stretching position. Her actions made him wonder as he had never wondered before...

IN

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AN: I feel a strange wind coming in...it feels like a storm's a brewing. XP

Side note: This story has reached OVER 9,000 views! (kudos to those who heard that in Vegeta's voice. XP) I'm excited how well received this is! :D


	96. Chapter 96

IN

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Within the last few days, May was a volcano building up to explode.

Her body performed the moves from muscle memory, but her mind wasn't in today's show. She didn't even hear the blaring of the music as they did a love scene.

What she saw on that hill plagued her mind day and night. When she first heard the cars honking and screeching and then Leon and Sora rolling down the hill, her initial instinct had been to go and check on them.

But then Sora cried out something in another language, making May pause in her steps.

There was desperation and sorrow in that cry and May wanted to know what she had said—not that she'd be willing to go and ask the Japanese girl herself. She contented herself to just watching and waiting, but then she had frowned upon seeing Leon move his head close to Sora.

May had been aghast to see them kissing—if she could even refer to it as that.

The intensity of it, the way they moved against each other like they were trying so hard to sink into the other's skin, merge together and never be separated, May knew what the familiarity meant. She couldn't explain why her brain jumped to the conclusion that it did having only _witnessed_ that interaction. But she knew the truth, despite how much of a leap it was on her part.

She had been in a numb state until they finally left the hill separately.

_I hadn't known how spot on I was with the strumpet comment._ Her face distorted in extreme resentment. Sora was the reason why Leon was distracted, she was the cause of the imbalance between the two leading performers, and the redhead didn't even care how much unrest she was causing.

May attempted to keep her face clear of the anger.

Unfortunately, it left a blank mask on her face that was very out of place for Juliet reuniting with her Romeo. May's hands connected with Leon's and he swung her to hang from the bar upside down with him. Soft petals fell against her face and the trumpets blared out in triumph.

May could find nothing to be triumphant of.

No sooner had the trumpets stopped that Leon suddenly righted them.

May rapidly blinked out of her somewhat depressing thoughts as he began to climb up the ropes of the swing. _What in the world is he doing?_This wasn't a part of the script. _Why would Romeo go __away __from Juliet? There's nothing up there!_

How wrong she was.

Rosaline was there, Romeo's first love and heartache—a most potent danger to Juliet.

IN

Sora had just emptied the box of petals when she noted the murmuring hum of the audience. _What's going on? _Curious, she tucked some hair behind her ear as she peered over the scaffolding she was on.

She squeaked and promptly scurried backwards upon seeing Leon there. In her sudden movement, her blue stage crew button up shirt slipped down one arm. He quickly got on the top of the scaffolding and crouched right in front of her. Her movement made the sleeve slip completely off

"Come," he told her.

"_What?"_

He didn't give her any time to think. He smoothly grabbed her hand, she idly felt the remaining sleeve slid off and then they were falling down. Before she knew it, he placed her hand on the bar. The familiar, long missed swing felt comforting to her but she wasn't able to enjoy it.

"I'm not supposed to be on stage," she hissed under her breath.

"Yes," he murmured back in correction, "you are."

IN

Sora quickly launched off of another swing as she attempted to get off of the stage.

She withheld the urge to yell when Leon, once again, foiled her plan and smoothly altered her swing to go the other way. "Just let me go back!"

"No."

The clinking of a swing behind her made Sora turn around. May was glaring at her and Sora could see why she'd be upset. But before Sora could apologize, May shouted out to her.

"Let's settle this once and for all!"

The Chinese acrobat jumped towards the swing Sora and Leon were hanging off of. May's legs kicked out beneath the skirt of her costume, making Sora quickly let go of the bar and deftly flip over to the swing May just came from. Two people holding a bar was somewhat clustered. Three would definitely not work.

"Stop it May!" Sora called out.

As she looked for another escape route, she happened to catch the faces of the audience. _It's too late for that…_If she left now, they'd really know that she wasn't supposed to be on stage to begin with. It would make completely no sense for her to have appeared for a few minutes and then disappear without having done anything on the stage.

_Fine. _

With that in mind, Sora did a few rotations on the swing she was on to gain momentum and then she flipped to the next swing. She felt a stirring of excitement with that action, her enjoyment of the stage threatening to come out and play. Sora set herself up for a twirling move which brought out some "ohs" from the audience.

A smile tugged on her lips. Leon saw it as he came towards her on another swing.

May's form came between him and Sora. Her arms artfully stretched out to him as she was in the air. His attention was brought back to Sora as May caught a swing. Given the limited number of swings there were, he wasn't surprised that Sora landed on his, especially since they were on the level with the higher up swings.

He watched as Sora stood on the bar and wrapped a leg around the swing's rope. She hung her entire weight from it, her body arching backwards and her arms stretched out. He could see her face from the part in her hair. Her eyes were shining with energy.

Drawn in by it, he pulled himself up the bar and lifted a hand up in a silent offering.

Warmth flooded him when she took it without hesitations.

His eyes lightened slightly. Sadly, she was only able to enjoy it for a few seconds before May barged over. However, the teen had miscalculated the gap and started to fall. Quickly, Sora loosened her leg from the rope and she dropped down in time to grab May's hand.

_Thank goodness!_

The relief was short lived as May narrowed her eyes at the sight of Sora and Leon holding hands above her. _I was saved by her. _May's ego didn't take that too well.

May twisted her body and with her swinging she was able to jump onto the top of the bar. She did a handstand above Leon and artfully bent one leg. When she looked down at Leon she was appalled to find that he wasn't watching.

Beneath May, Leon hung with one hand on the bar and brought his legs into an arch. Sora's arm hung off from the crook his bent legs made and from there she curled and twisted her body. When Sora felt him shift, she adjusted her hold as he brought one leg in a ninety degree angle in front of him and then the other. Having made a seat for her, she promptly sat on his legs in a demonstration of his strength and control and then grabbed the rope of the swing once more.

May had left the swing in a moment of indignation, allowing them their own space temporarily.

He offered his hand again once he was sitting on the bar. She took it and then offered her free hand. There was a moment between them in which opportunity opened for them. Having not performed together since _Saiyuki_, each wondered what they could accomplish as a pair after they had grown so much within these many months.

He was eager to know; she was burning to explore it.

Their previous hesitations were suspended for this one moment.

Hands together, he fell backwards and she followed. His knees were bent and over the bar, allowing his hands to stay in hers. She dangled for only a mere second before she started to pull up. He bent his arms to help her ascend, meanwhile curling his upper body so he could bring her hands up to his neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck and only hung on from there.

She curled her upper body so that they were chest to chest, the move made a mirror image of each other. The side of her face was against his jaw; her head turned, making her lips brush it. Again, he wondered about her lack of reservations about being in public contact with him. He pushed it aside for now.

His arms went around her waist.

She let her body go limp, her arms unhooking from around his neck and she curled her body backwards. Her hands grasped her ankles as he rested his forehead against her stomach. The move reminded her of their ice skating and she smiled at the memory, wondering if they would pick off where they left off.

The future, for once, did not seem so stifling.

She squeaked a little with his teasing bite to her tummy. If she could see his face, she'd see the small smile playing on his lips. They maneuvered themselves so that they were hand in hand once more. She could see his face now and his eyes were darting over hers in assessment, trying to gauge something. She'd be an idiot to not know what he was thinking at that moment.

She gave him a small nod.

With that, he swung a few times and when he deemed their momentum to be enough to launch her to the swing up above, he threw her up.

After all, she needed to be above for the Angel's Maneuver.

However, he had not counted on May going to the same swing.

May reached the bar first, causing it to shift just enough that Sora, who had been a half second behind in reaching the bar, completely missed it.

Wide eyed, he watched Sora fall.

IN

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	97. Chapter 97

AN: Sorry for the wait! Thanks for reviewing and reading, by the way. :)

IN

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When the tips of her fingers brushed the bar, she had a sense of déjà vu.

She was back in the past year trying out for the Little Mermaid role. That sinking feeling came back with that moment of startling clarity that she was falling.

The other swings were not nearby; maybe if she had been able to push off of the swing in time to move in that direction, she could have. However, she hadn't thought she was going to miss the bar.

_I thought the timing was right…_

But that was not the point.

She was falling and she did not see any way to prevent the inevitable.

IN

Time was not on his side at the moment.

As soon as he saw her miss the bar, he reacted.

IN

Sora had been in a numb state when she saw him launch off of his swing and up towards her, taking advantage of the swing still in motion and propelling himself.

"Sora!" he called out, "Push off of me!"

_Of course he has a plan. _She didn't know how he always managed to know what to do.

When their hands connected, she pushed off as he shoved her up to the closest swing. The audience was in awe of her as she soared into the air and stayed floating. Even in so dire a situation, she couldn't help but feel elated by her body in flight and the audience's reaction.

_So this is what the maneuver feels like in front of an audience._

A little smile appeared on her face, but the joy did not last for long. She started to fall down to the swing and the magic of the maneuver released the audience's attention. They were restless and she didn't know why.

She grabbed the bar and looked around just as some screams sounded off.

Leon was falling.

Her mind registered what was happening, what he had done for her, but she persisted in the false knowledge that he wasn't falling for long. _He's got quick reflexes, _she tried to reason. _His partners get injured, but never has he been hurt on the stage._

It just wasn't in him to fall…

Another second passed and he was still in the same horrible situation. She felt her heart ripping apart from the inside.

"Leon!" came her soul shattering cry.

IN

He heard her call out his name.

He looked up at her stricken face, seeing her hand stretched out to him even though he was so far away from her.

_She made it._

He was fine with his decision.

IN

The initial anger and jealousy May felt was overshadowed by Sora's cry.

It echoed around the place, the teen's wretchedness so very clear within it. As May looked at Leon's falling form, his long silver hair drifting in the air and his gaze focused on Sora and Sora's hand uselessly trying to somehow grab him, May felt, for the first time in a very long time, shame.

_What have I done?_

IN

Tears went down her face; Sora didn't care.

The lights had turned off and she had heard the sickening thud as Leon connected with the ground. She wailed into the darkness, no longer worried about keeping her feelings a secret or pretending whatever Leon did didn't affect her.

He mattered so much...

"Leon," she sobbed.

IN

The ambulance came and took Leon.

Sora went to the hospital he was in and then proceeded to sit on the stiff chair in the waiting area as the ER medics looked over Leon.

It had been hours now and her stomach was grumbling, but she didn't care.

Her hands were folded. Sarah was staring at her with some concern and Ken was frowning at her lack of motion. Since Leon didn't have anyone down for his contact, Sarah came on behalf of the Kaleido Stage. When Sora expressed the desire to come Ken had been around, thus his presence at the hospital as well.

A doctor came into the waiting room. Sora was the first to stand up even though Sarah was the one that was sought out. Sarah and the doctor spoke for a bit and then Sarah came over to deliver the news.

"Leon obviously has some breaks and fractures in both legs as well as his ribs. Though, the doctor said she's more concerned about his concussion. He's fine," Sarah put a reassuring hand on Sora's shoulder upon seeing the fear in her eyes, "Though, with head injuries it usually takes some time to label a patient as stable. But for now, he's fine."

Sora took in a breath to steady herself. "Alright."

"Should we go then?" Ken asked.

Instead of answering, Sora sat back down.

IN

In the car ride back, Sarah and Ken sat in silence.

When they got to a red light, Sarah ventured a glance at Ken. He was still frowning at Sora's decision to stay.

"She's worried," Sarah said.

"I know."

"If anything, she probably blames herself for his fall."

"Yeah."

The light changed. Sarah focused back on the road.

"…She could have returned tomorrow," Ken quietly said, "instead of volunteering to stay."

The diva considered what she saw during the fall and Sora's current behavior.

"Ken," she gently started, "you can't expect someone to be rational in these situations, especially with circumstances close to the heart."

Ken looked over at Sarah. They caught another red light and Sarah caught his stare.

"I think she has feelings for him," she clarified.

His jaw slacked slightly. She would have found it funny in any other situation than now.

Her eyes were sympathetic to his plight, having seen the way he looked at Sora. But she had seen the way Sora looked at Leon. Given that and Leon's selfless act, she'd say the redhead's feelings were reciprocated.

The light changed again.

IN

The following days at the hospital, Sora stayed.

The stage was on probation for at least a month, so it wasn't like she had other duties to attend to. Leon continued to stay unconscious; she was determined to stay until he was out of the clear of falling into a serious coma.

Sarah had dropped off a bag of her clothes as well as some activity books to keep her occupied.

"Flowers are supposed to be helpful," said the patient that shared a room with Leon.

Sora looked up from doing her crossword puzzle. She spotted the daisies by the elderly man's bedside table and smiled.

"Are they helping you?"

He gave a low chuckle and then coughed a little. Sora made to get up to help with his water cup, but the man held a hand up. He sipped from the straw and then spoke again. "They remind me of my dear wife." He looked at the flowers with some nostalgia. "She was in love with daisies, even more so than with me."

Sora's smile was tinged with some sadness. "I'm sure that was not the case."

The older man chuckled again. "I know it to be so, but it makes a good joke."

IN

The next day, Sora stepped out to quickly grab some flowers from the shop near the hospital. The nurse had been nice enough to tell her where it was. It had been further than she had anticipated, but the doctor had said Leon wasn't showing anything to be concerned about yet.

She was carrying a powder blue pot with white hydrangeas when she heard some frantic speaking.

Her heart stopped when she saw the medics rushing into Leon's room.

"What's going on?"

A nurse grabbed her and told her to stay back.

Sora was gripping the flowers tightly as she heard the heart monitor going dangerously fast and then completely stilled into a monotonous sound.

"Clear!" was followed by some sort of electric pulsing sound. The EKG monitor stayed flat. They tried again. "Clear!" The blaring sound continued without pause.

Moments later, she heard a doctor say with a heavy sigh, "Dareth Campell, time of death- 1:14PM. Someone call the family."

Her trembling continued even after hearing that.

She had fallen against the wall without noticing and was now sliding down to the ground. A part of her was relieved it wasn't Leon, but grief for the loss of life still made some tears fall.

_I didn't get to thank him for the flowers suggestion._

IN

The morning of Day Eight at the hospital had the doctor telling her that there was a lot of brain activity.

"He should be waking up anytime now."

She nodded at the information.

Before the doctor left, she added, "Mr. Campell's family thanks you for the daisies. They said they'd put them by his headstone tomorrow after the funeral."

Sora gave a smaller nod as her throat tightened. The sight of the empty bed still made her choke up.

IN

She had fallen asleep early that evening and had her arms folded under her head as her upper half was slumped on the bed.

A faint touch on her arm had her stirring.

Bleary eyed, she lifted her head to see Leon's eyes open.

"Hello," he quietly murmured.

The greeting set her off for some reason or other. She sat up straight and her eyes narrowed at him.

"You've got some nerve," she half hissed out. "What were you thinking back then, pulling me onto the stage during a show and then you just _jumped _off like that into midair and without some kind of backup plan?!"

Lost in emotion, she stood up, her chair lightly screeching with the motion.

"_How dare you_!" she seethed, "You're not supposed to do things like that; you don't get hurt or have broken bones or fractures," her voice hitched a little at the last word, "and then have a roommate that dies without you meeting him and meanwhile you're in your not-so-safe little world of la la land and state of unconsciousness for eight days…"

Her form shook as she paused to get some air.

"You jerk," she shakily spat, "you ass, you-you idiot!"

Her lips trembled and her eyes watered. "_Baka!_" she choked out.

When he noticed that she had no more to say, he slightly inclined his head in agreement to her statements.

"I apologize."

The words were quiet, but they rang in her head. She fell against the bed, her face burying into his sterile white blanket and wept.

His hand rested on her shaking head.

IN

She fell asleep that night right next to him.

Her petite form did not require much room on the bed, but he had scooted slightly despite the pangs of pain that the action caused. In the light hold of his arm she slept on her side and with her hands curled under her chin, not wanting to aggravate his injuries with her arm on his torso.

Her face lay besides his and her bangs fell on his cheek.

When she shifted a little in her sleep her hair tickled him but the faint smell of vanilla appeased him of the discomfort.

"…I didn't mean it," she sleepily murmured, her breath caressing the side of his face.

His hand slowly stroked her back. "Go back to sleep."

He felt her lips brush his cheek and then she was still again, her breathing evening out once more.

IN

Back at the Kaleido Stage, Kalos called May into his office early the next day.

He had a TV screen and DVD player set up on his desk. He told her to sit and then played the DVD. May's eyes widened as she saw herself in the Juliet costume with Sora coming into the frame as Leon launched her into the air.

The recording of May showed the teen sneering at Sora and her hand jerked the bar just so, making it slip out of Sora's reach…

The image paused here.

The overhead lights of the office shone on Kalos' glasses. His eyes could not be seen.

"Would you care to explain this?"

May's head bowed, her bangs covering her eyes.

IN

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AN: I'm thinking that there's only one or two chapters left of the story. This has certainly grown into something else than what I had thought it would be, but I'm pretty happy with it. :)

Thank you 'Guest' for the reviews of my stories! :) I definitely still like seeing what people think even though a story is complete.


	98. Chapter 98

AN: Sorry for the long wait!

IN

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Sora knocked on Kalos' door.

When she heard him say, "Enter," she took a breath in and then opened the door. She had heard about the termination of May's contract a few days ago—it was rather big news around here considering that May used to be the leading lady. She'd admit to being a little relieved with the news. May and her butted heads ever since the teen first appeared at the stage. But deep down, the thought of not being able to perform on the Kaleido Stage ever again weighted heavily upon her.

"I heard about May."

Kalos' eyes continued to look at the e-mail on the screen. She swallowed a little, still unsure if she was being too sympathetic and the impending request will later come and bite her in the tush, but she didn't want this stage to have that sort of history. The dream stage she had in mind…there was no room for that sort of strife.

"Boss, can you change the termination to a prolonged suspension?"

Those words caught his attention.

IN

Nearly a week after being kicked out, May received a phone call from Kalos.

She went outside so that she could actually hear the man. Her siblings were playing the wii in the living room and didn't care about using their 'inside voice' while playing.

"_You're on suspension._"

May's jaw slacked. _What? _Of all the things Kalos had to say to her, a suspension was the last thing she had expected to hear. _So that means…_

"I can come back?" she murmured with tentative hope in her voice.

There was a pause on the line and then Kalos sighed.

_"Ultimately, yes, but after a few months and you demonstrate the ability to function with the stage."_

May was not one to cry, but she felt her eyes watering up. "Thank you, Kalos! You won't regret it!"

_"…You should thank Sora."_

The line cut off with that. May nearly dropped the phone in astonishment. _Little Miss Sunshine vouched for me? _She couldn't fathom why the teen she had been trying to overcome had spoken up on her behalf.

The wind rustled her hair and the dial tone continued to sound.

Neither registered to her as she mulled over the information she received.

IN

_A few weeks later…_

Leon's hospital room was quiet.

Sora carefully closed the door with the new hydrangeas in her other hand. She'd been coming every so often. If he was awake, she'd ask how he was doing or tell him whatever popped in her head. He responded sometimes, but for the most part he remained silent.

She quietly walked over to the flower pot and pulled the wilted ones out. She inwardly winced when the trash bag made some noise when she tossed out the old flowers. The bed creaked a little, signaling his state of consciousness.

_Shoot._

She turned towards him with an apologetic smile. "I was just switching these out."

His grey eyes darted to the white flowers in her hands and then back on her face. She continued her task, making some small talk about the weather and then her short talk with his doctor in the hallway.

"..said that it typically takes 6 to 8 weeks for broken legs to heal, but with the rate you're healing, it might be a little shorter."

He watched her adjust the arrangement for a while longer. He had noticed that when she came to see him, she kept some distance between them. _Except for the first night when I woke up, she has yet to come into contact with me._ It was strange, considering that she had even slept on the bed with him. He had thought that the issue would come up sometime, but he was starting to wonder if he would have to say something directly.

He pressed a button that controlled the angle of his bed.

The whirring sound brought her attention back to him as the top part of the bed brought him to a sitting up position. He frowned a little when she returned to the flowers.

"That arrangement is good now," he lowly murmured.

Her hands paused. "…I guess so."

She stayed standing by the bed instead of sitting down. Her hands were folded in front of her as she added in some inconsequential comment she heard from a nurse.

"How are you doing?" he quietly interrupted.

She started a little, but then she settled down. "I'm good. How about you?"

"Fine, all things considered." He paused and then, "Though I wonder about your behavior."

"My behavior?"

He gave a short nod. "Your…distancing."

The room was filled with the sounds of his heart monitor as well as the voice on the PA system paging a certain doctor out in the hallway. Her hands had loosened from each other and one ventured to touch his hair along the white blanket, but stopped a few centimeters from reaching its goal.

"It's not distancing," she murmured.

Her hand withdrew and she walked over to the window. He stared at her back as she opened the blinds halfway.

"Mr. Kenneth wants some performers for the new line of cars at the dealership he owns…"

Leon listened, though he frowned a little at the vague explanation she had given him. _She's obviously not ready to say._ He inwardly sighed.

He would wait for now…

IN

Ken frowned at Sora's absence in the cafeteria, yet again.

"What's got your focus, Mr. Distracted?" Anna idly questioned as she sprinkled some bacon bits into her bowl of mac and cheese.

Mia put her glass down. "Yeah Ken. You've been pretty absentminded for three weeks now."

Marion licked her chocolate ice cream cone she had gotten from the soft serve machine. "Going on four weeks," she added before she gave her treat another lick.

Ken looked over at the faces of his friends. _Would they be able to answer my question? _He knew Sarah had said her assessment of the situation between Leon and Sora, but he really would like another opinion. _It just isn't possible…right?_

"…Have any of you noticed anything," He floundered around for the right word, "particular…with Sora and Leon?"

Anna tilted her head in confusion.

Mia and Marion shared a look.

"Particular how?" Anna asked, scooping up some of her cheesy meal.

Ken kept his focus on the other two girls. "Something that would suggest that Sora was interested in Leon or the other way around?"

Anna blinked with the spoon in her mouth. "Interested? Like…a crush or something?"

Ken nodded his head as he watched Mia shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"Yeah right!" Anna chortled. "Sora and Leon together is as likely as me and Chris Hemsworth ending up a couple!"

Mia's lips were tightly pressed together. Ken's eyes narrowed upon seeing that.

"What do you think Mia?"

Marion licked her ice cream, recognizing that Mia wasn't going to last another second.

"Maybe," Mia squeaked out.

Marion perked up. _She spoke up first, so that means it's safe to talk now…_

"They're totally a couple," Marion nonchalantly said. "They've kissed and everything." She turned her head towards Mia, not noticing the slacked jaws of Ken and Anna. "What was it you said that one time? Something about them being warm or—oh!" She beamed as she recalled Mia's phrase she heard.

"They've got the hots for each other," Marion proclaimed and then returned to eating her ice cream.

"_Whaaaat?!_"

"Holy cheese and crackers!"

"Marion! Don't repeat that in front of your father!" Mia exclaimed in embarrassment.

IN

Like the doctor had predicted, Leon was released from the hospital after four and a half weeks instead of the 6-8 weeks that was the norm.

However, he was still undergoing physical therapy.

The beginning had been difficult, seeing as he had been immobile for weeks. While he had been able to keep his arms in decent condition with some dumbbells, it would be a while until he regained his complete strength in his legs. He pushed himself hard, training outside of the therapy sessions on the treadmill and some other exercises at the Kaleido Stage gym.

He was there now, jogging at a moderate speed in order to cool down from the sprint he had been doing. When he was slowing down to a walking pace, Sora had walked in wearing her practice clothes. She saw his familiar silver hair and came over to him.

"Didn't you just come out of a therapy session?"

He continued walking as he uncapped his water bottle. "They're not enough to rebuild muscle."

"You mean they're not fast enough," she wiry said. She crossed her arms as she peered at the calories burned and other stats on the machine. "You don't need to push yourself so hard."

"The stage is no longer on probation. It is necessary for me to be in performing condition as soon as possible."

"Yeah, but seeing as Mia's still working on the next production script, you have more time than you think." When he pushed some buttons and started to jog, she grabbed his arm. "Leon, _please_. Take it slower."

Her touch and her plea had his attention.

He noted the light frown on her face. She released his arm when his gaze stayed on her for a while.

"I just don't want you getting hurt," she murmured, her eyes looking off to the side.

The time he spent in the hospital had been long enough. She didn't want to see him in that state of helplessness again. Her shoulders relaxed when she heard the machine powered down and his steps stopped sounding on the treadmill. However, when he stepped off of the machine to stand in front of her, she was surprised.

"That was the first time you've touched me since the accident occurred," he mused aloud.

Her eyes involuntarily turned back to him. Just as quickly, though, she averted her gaze. She didn't want him to see what came into her eyes; it was not her right to feel that way especially after what he had done for her and what she had yet to accomplish.

She gave a half shrug. "You were hospitalized. I didn't want to cause any pain accidently."

"Hm."

He picked up his sweat towel and wiped his face. _I have the feeling that is not the sole reason._ The towel went around his neck as he recalled her hand reaching to touch his hair, but then she stopped before her fingers felt it. _She's not disgusted with me anymore._ Though, he wasn't certain if the issue was something that dealt with the accident or not. _Is she feeling guilty for what happened?_ He could see that occurring now that he had a better idea of how she thinks.

Was the guilt preventing her from touching him?

He lightly turned her face towards him. She blinked at the sudden action and then her eyes widened when his face came very close to hers. He looked for her reactions to him, finding the familiar red on her cheeks spreading and noticing her swallow hard.

He had a few hypotheses regarding her behavior and a few possible ways to figure it out and lead to a solution, most dealing with word probing and such. However, seeing her soft lips and her doe eyes fixed on him, he realized that there was another way that he would very much like to do if she was willing.

His fingers touched the corner of her mouth. She swallowed again.

"Would you like me to come over?" he murmured.

He watched as her emotions swirled in her eyes. She conflicted and he didn't want her to be. _It is probably over what she thinks she should do and what she thinks is an issue. _If it was fear of hurting him, she did not need to worry about that.

He leaned forward to bump his nose against her cheek. The action pulled her from her thoughts and had her focused on him. An emotion started to color her eyes, but she lowered her lashes before he could see what she had settled on.

"Only if you want to," she quietly replied.

IN

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AN: REALLY close to the end...


	99. Chapter 99

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Sora unlocked her door and then stepped aside, letting Leon go in first.

He looked about her place, seeing a bright blue metal kettle on the small stove top and some mythical animal figurine with wings on the coffee table in the sitting area. While he was looking around, she was berating herself for not being tough enough.

Maybe it was just that everything had happened one thing after another, maybe she was just the odd ball for feeling this way, but she couldn't help it. _He was in two potentially fatal situations: the first with the street and almost getting hit; and then his fall_. She wasn't downplaying his broken bones but that second accident could have been worse. Both of those situations had shaken her foundation so much until her past hesitations and concerns regarding him as a partner and love interest seemed so small now.

When she was near him, she wanted to touch him, kiss him, talk to him, anything really.

She often wondered who fell harder that day when he saved her...

But she did not forget her mistake; her great folly during the Circus Festival still hung over her. _My performing the Angel's Maneuver with Yuri and then my selfishness that night we were together…I still need to make amends for those before I can consider myself worthy of him._

He has done so much for her and yet she has done so little…how could she dare to think about intimacy when she hasn't achieved her goal? She inwardly sighed. _I probably shouldn't have brought him here._

But it was done and he was here now.

"You can shower while I fix us some food," she threw over her shoulder as she padded over to the linen closet.

He placed his duffle bag down.

She pulled out a clean maroon towel and turned around only to nearly drop the item upon seeing Leon close to her. He leaned forward to grab the towel but with his eyes locked onto hers.

She could not pull out of his gaze this time.

Their fingers brushed and she knew that he could see the longing in her eyes.

He did see the yearning as well as noticed her shiver from the brief contact. _I don't think she's afraid of contact. _Nor did he think that she was afraid of agitating any lingering injuries of his. She was aware of his healing progress, having been at the hospital while he recuperated.

He leaned down for a kiss, but her hand on his chest halted him. _Very curious._

"Why did you stop me?"

Their proximity made her mouth dry. She knew if she started to touch him, she'd want more. Already, her hand on his chest was tempted to move around.

"I don't—I'm not," she took in a breath, hoping that an explanation would help him understand. "I haven't redeemed myself yet—from the festival and my selfishness. I, I don't deserve this," she vaguely gestured in the air, flustered that she wasn't very articulate. "I—After all you've done, I have yet to do anything."

Her eyes had been staring at her hand on him. For this last sentence, she looked up into his grey eyes, the enchanting color taking a hold of her.

"I don't deserve you."

He was silent for a while, but then she felt the rumble coming out from him. His chuckles were followed by the shaking of his head and then a hand to his forehead. He glanced at her and then he laughed, stepping slightly away from her in order to compose himself.

She wasn't sure whether to feel a little insulted by his humor or not.

"I didn't think it was funny," she clipped.

She was walking around him when he lightly grabbed her arm.

"Do not go," he murmured with some lingering humor in his voice. "I do not laugh at you," he shook his head again in disbelief, "I simply cannot believe that you would say you felt undeserving of _me_."

His hand cradled her face. Her eyes widened at the rare softening of his eyes.

"You haven't done anything?" His forehead rested on hers. "I'd say you've done more between the two of us."

"That's not tru—"

He interrupted her with a bumping of his nose against hers. "You practiced."

"Yes," she said with some confusion in her voice at the change of topics.

A faint smile appeared on his face. "You will need a shower as well."

"…Yes," she managed to get out with her heart stuck in her throat "So don't use all the hot water."

The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. His hand on her cheek tilted her chin up. "I might forget," he rumbled out, and then placed a kiss on her cheek. "And then there will be none left for you."

He placed another kiss on her other cheek. She did not respond to his playful words.

"What do you want?" he asked her, face to face, "And do not say you have no right to ask. I say you do, so there is nothing holding you back on that account. I am here of my own will."

He waited a little for her to pull away, avert her gaze, or tell him to get out. She did none of those, though her hand did brush against his even though he already had the towel. The touch sent a jolt up his arm; he kissed her cheek again.

Her head turned so that she met his lips when he leaned forward a third time. The short kiss was followed by another and the next one not quite as fleeting. Their lips met again and she could not bear to break it off like the last ones.

She threw her arms around his neck, transforming it into a deep kiss.

She mewled as she pressed herself against him, savoring the wonderful feeling of kissing him and feeling his silky hair between her fingers. He reveled in the taste of her fruity chapstick, followed by the sultry feeling of her tongue touching his with unmasked desire.

He pressed her against the door of the closet, but allowed her control of the kiss. When she buried her fingers in his hair and pushed his head down to hers, he complied. When she wanted to suck on his lower lip, he relented, allowing her to nibble on it and pull it into her mouth.

"You," she breathlessly answered as she kissed his face. "I want you."

She captured his mouth again.

They were deeply kissing one moment and then he broke it off so suddenly, she fell back against the cabinet door. _Was that too soon to say?_ Her lips parted to ask where he was going when he looked back at her, his grey eyes smothering and flickering with so much heat, she didn't feel the need to ask.

He went into the bathroom. She noted that there was no click of the lock.

A short pause occurred and then she heard the water turn on. She swallowed, still feeling the burn from earlier running in her veins. She grabbed another towel from the closet and then walked over to where Leon disappeared into.

The bathroom door opened and then closed.

IN

The lukewarm water rained upon them, but she could barely feel it.

With the cool tiles along her back and his heated body in constant contact with hers, she was not completely aware of herself, let alone her senses. All she knew were the electricity flooding her, the hot brushes of his tongue soothing the love bites along her body—he was warmer than the water that was falling on their hair and streaking down their forms—and then the friction, the marvelous mystery of lovemaking that she did not want to know from any other than him.

She was clinging onto him for balance and in the trust that he would not let her fall. He had more than proved himself as reliable; she did not think she could ever forget that.

She bit her lower lip in an attempt to keep her moan in, but the sound simply came out very throaty. _I don't know how thin the walls are_. She may not be concerned about people knowing that she was involved with him, but she would be embarrassed if they could hear them.

He heard her low moan with an approving ear.

He repeated the action with a little more force, causing her slight sound to suddenly deepen and echo against the tiled walls. He groaned in appreciation, his hands along her thighs readjusting their grip as the water made her skin slippery.

She was what he wanted—no exceptions to that statement or adjustments 'needed.'

_I will be her partner_, he vowed to himself as he looked at her closed eyes, her slightly parted lips and her dark, wet hair plastered on her face and neck. That's why he was pushing himself so hard in his training. It was vital for him to be in shape before Kalos called in someone else.

And he didn't want someone replacing him, especially not romantically.

He wanted her in so many ways; he hadn't known it was possible for one being to hold so much importance to him. Her legs tightened around his waist as they continued making love. When he moved against her with more force, she buried her face along his shoulder in an attempt to muffle her moans.

"Do not mask yourself from me," he roughly voiced out above the splatters of water drops from the shower.

Her cheeks flushed from his statement, not that it was visible at the moment. He was bold, she already knew of this. It was an attractive trait of his though she sometimes wondered when his boldness will permanently cause her cheeks to stay red.

Her head stayed along his shoulder but she compromised his request with her wish to not be heard next door by putting her face more along his neck and towards his ear. The sound was partly muffled, but he could hear her pleasure in it.

"Better," he huskily approved.

IN

He stayed the night despite the fact that her bed was not exactly meant for two.

They simply spooned with her back to his chest and their legs partly entwined. His hand drifted along her arm for a while and then found its way under her sleep shirt to brush his fingers along her ribs and stomach. She squirmed a little when he touched her upper ribs.

"Go to bed," she murmured.

"I am in bed."

He felt her stomach expand as she sighed. "Smart aleck."

He chuckled, the vibrations filtering into her back. Her eyes closed, enjoying the fact that he felt comfortable enough to laugh with her around.

Her bedroom was quiet again.

IN

In the morning, Ken walked over to the dorms.

Marion's statements about Sora and Leon ran over and over again in his head. _"They've kissed and everything." _He frowned. _What did 'everything' mean? _

Was it just kissing and touching?

Or did it mean something further than that?

Ken's face grew red at the thought of Sora doing something other than kissing. Heck, just kissing alone was enough to make him flustered. He was too embarrassed to ask Sora directly, so he planned to ask Mia about it.

_Maybe they misunderstood what they saw. _That was a possibility.

Right?

He took the stairs to Mia's floor, but then he paused, wondering if this was actually a moment for him to show the initiative instead of going to someone else.

He took a breath in and then went up some more for Sora's floor.

He quickly combed his hair with his fingers and smoothed his shirt over. The dorms were quiet except for his footsteps. Since the next production has not been chosen, the performers were sleeping in and pushed practices for a later time instead of early in the morning. Ken was about four doors away when he heard a door open ahead of him.

His eyes widened upon seeing Leon come out.

_That…well, maybe that's not her room. _He nodded to himself in that weak reassurance, though it did not last for long.

Sora was half out with a duffle bag in her hands. She said something to Leon as she held it out to him. The tall man said something back as he grabbed it, though he tugged it a little upon seeing that she still had a hand on the strap. She squeaked as she pitched forward and into him. He chuckled and then tilted her head up.

They kissed.

Ken rubbed his eyes and then looked again. He gaped, the simple kiss having changed in the short time he took to rub his eyes. He could not look away as Leon's hand slipped under her shirt while her own hands slipped under Leon's collar to touch his skin.

There was no way to mistaken this.

IN

Her nails scratched the nape of his neck.

He gave one last brush of his tongue against hers and then pulled away.

"Until tonight," he murmured.

She gave a smile. "See you then."

He picked up the forgotten bag and then went off to the side stairwell. She stayed by the door as she watched his silver hair swish as he walked, but some sound from the other direction caught her ear. She turned to see if one of her friends had awoken early and wanted to grab some breakfast.

Ken stood a few doors away. She stiffened.

_Did he see us?_

She had planned to tell her friends about her and Leon sometime, especially now that they were together again. Ideally, this was not the way she wanted Ken to have found out, but she couldn't do anything about it now.

"Good morning," she called out.

The young man stirred with that greeting. He started to say something, but then closed his mouth. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Morning," he weakly responded.

Then, he turned around and walked back down the stairs.

IN

Ken thought about what he would say, what he could ask.

_How long have you been seeing each other?_

_When did it start?_

Other things like that. But in the middle of thinking about what to say, he realized that, in the end, it didn't matter when the two had started.

The main point was that they were currently together.

He saw that. So there was really no explanations needed. Any other information would just make it harder for him to accept it or move passed it. He missed his chance. Now, there might not be another opportunity.

_I think I'll head over to the beach. _

A walk sounded really good right now.

IN

IN

IN

AN: Ok, so there will be one last chapter as a sort of epilogue and then this story will be finished. :)

I enjoyed writing this and seeing people's reactions to it! Thank you for the support! :D


	100. Chapter 100

IN

IN

IN

The familiar spices of Mario's Pizzeria gave Sora some comfort as she patiently waited for Leon to finish reading the article in the paper.

She idly rotated her straw in her glass of iced peach tea.

Leon placed the newspaper down, revealing the headline, "Kaleido Stage's Ex-Lead Signs Up for Competitor Circus." He took a sip of his lemon water as he thought about what to comment on.

"It explains why May didn't show up last week."

She sighed. "Yeah."

May's suspension ended a while ago, but she was a no-show for her trial. _I guess she still couldn't stomach the idea of me being the leading lady. _Sora felt like she was regressing rather than moving forward; after all, the stage she had in mind wouldn't have this kind of conflict within it.

She wasn't naïve enough to think that they'd all get along immediately but still… _I thought there'd be a sort of understanding that the stage comes first before personal conflict._

It seemed like she still had some ways to go.

"Focus on your exercises," Leon rumbled out. "You still have your balance training to finish before we get to the actual maneuver."

Three months in and he was still having her hone in on her balance. She puffed some air out, making her bangs float away from her forehead. "I can handle more than you give me."

"Perhaps," came his vague reply. "Though there is no need to rush."

She pouted a little, not caring if she looked petulant. "You don't need to baby me."

His grey eye slanted over to her. Casually, he raised a hand to push her hair back; his thumb rubbed the impressive hickey that had been hidden underneath her collared blouse before he slipped his hand in.

"You have my word that I do not see you as an infant," he wiry stated.

Her face flushed, but it did not prevent her from responding. "I would hope not." She lightly pushed his hand away from her neck and gave a haughty tilt of her chin. "'Cradle Robber' doesn't sound like an attractive stage name."

He leaned over her in the booth, making her sit back along the cushion. She felt a strong sense of déjà vu with him being over her and her anticipating what he'd do. _Sounds like a lot of scenarios._ She nearly laughed at the thought, but his lidded eyes held her attention.

"What name would you prefer then?"

Quirky names, seductive titles and her old label of him as a 'Hunter' flashed through her mind, but none of them seemed to encompass all that he is. _What about the silent care? The woeful heart? Or the inner strength? _The God of Death was too narrow; The Pegasus of the Stage seemed to be a bit of a showy title.

No, those names would not do him justice.

It came to her then, the name that always has been a part of him and will always hold the greatest meaning. _So simple an answer, yet complex in its meaning…_

"Leon Oswald," she softly said.

He started a little at then, but then his eyes began to glow with inner fire and appreciation. His fingers tucked her hair behind her ear; the gesture made her heart flutter.

"Here's your personal pizza kiddies!" came Karen's perky voice.

Leon quirked a brow at what she called them. Sora shook her head with a smile on.

"Thanks Karen."

IN

It was nighttime.

Sarah had been unlocking a teen's door when she spotted Sora and Leon across the way. Well, more like heard them. Sora was talking and Leon responded with short phrases. Sarah was surprised to see their hands entwined.

"Sorry about this, Miss Sarah!"

The diva looked back at the new recruit. "Not a problem, doll. Just try to remember your key when you leave your room tomorrow."

The teen nodded and then wished her a good-night.

Sarah returned the good-night. She turned around to walk back to her room, pausing to see where the duo went. When they were nowhere to be seen she continued walking.

She whistled some random tune.

IN

They sat on the couch, though he could tell she was still feeling down about the situation with May.

Any other person would be glad to be rid of their rival, but not her. Her ability to empathize with even her enemy was an admirable trait; he could not see how she could be able to do that.

He shifted so that he was facing her form.

"Would you like to hear about the Angel's Maneuver?"

Her head perked up. He faintly smiled; he had been putting it off until she was done with her balance training, but he figured she could use the information now, rather than later.

"_Yes, please_!"

The shadow of a smile became visible. He motioned for her to come closer and she did so—more than he had meant for her to be as she crawled onto his lap. He adjusted his legs so that she rested most of her back against his propped right leg.

"In ballet, the ballerina gives the _impression_ of weightlessness when her partner lifts her up in the air," he started, one of his hands came up to run his fingers through the hair along the front of her shoulder.

She nodded at the understanding. Yuri had said something similar to her.

"With the Angel's Maneuver, you _will be weightless._" He let that sink in for a moment. Wonder filled her face; she did get that feeling when she did a part of the maneuver. But for an entire routine to be filled with that sensation…

She wanted to do it even more.

He leaned forward and with the lightest touch, he brushed his lips against her ear. "You will be like a feather floating about," he murmured, "and I will merely be there to keep you in the air. But you," he nipped her ear and he felt her shiver, "You will be magnificent."

"That sounds wonderful," she breathed, but then she gave him a half grin, "though I think you're being biased for the last part."

She felt his teeth graze her pulse. She had considered that it was strange that she liked his teeth on her so much. Ever since he played Dracula, she had been fascinated with the sensation of his bites. There had to be something wrong with her if she preferred that over kisses against her skin. But then she shrugged the matter aside, realizing that overthinking it wouldn't change the fact that love bites made her dizzy with desire.

_We all have our quirks, _she idly thought as he moved down her neck, his fingers undoing the buttons of her collared shirt so he could work on making the already noticeable hickey even larger.

IN

They had been working on the new trapeze when Ken was sent to fetch them.

His hand clenched a little when he saw Leon's hand along her hip as they stood on a swing, waiting for him to speak. The jealousy wasn't as strong anymore, but it still came every so often.

"Kalos wants you two in his office."

IN

Sora stood with her mouth open.

When she had arrived with Leon in the Boss's office, she had been surprised to see Layla there, but even more shocked to see Yuri standing next to her.

Kalos's news had stopped her world.

_Compete…against Layla and Yuri?_

She had already heard that there would be tryouts for Odile, but she hadn't thought that the role of the leading lady, Odette, was on the docket as well.

The prince too_,_ now that she thought about it.

For whoever was Odette would mean that the partner she had been training with would have to be the prince. The Angel's Maneuver dealt with trusting one's partner and being able to anticipate where the female would land so that her male counterpart would be there to spring her back in the air.

"The leading role tryouts will be this weekend," Kalos promptly stated.

Sora numbly nodded.

IN

Leon and Sora walked out of Kalos' office.

When they got to the area with the elevator, he pushed the down button and then scrutinized his partner.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"About what?"

She wet her lips. "I know you've been wanting to do this maneuver but because of my history with Layla, you'll have to fight for the role."

If she had been anyone else, he would have had an easier time fulfilling his promise. After all, it was because of her that Layla injured her shoulder and left the stage sooner than she should have, thus leading to her old partner's restlessness and desire to try for this new production.

She started a little when he firmly gripped her chin and made her look up at him.

"Enough of that," he sternly chided. His grip loosened a little when he realized that his tone might have come out harsher than he had intended.

"We're partners," he murmured. "I intend to follow through with this."

The corner of her lips tilted up. He was telling her that they were going to face this together. The thought warmed her heart.

"There's no 'I' in 'Team'," she cheekily said, "Is that what you mean?"

He lightly rolled his eyes at her. She laughed at the flat expression on his face.

IN

She stood with Leon on the platform high up.

Across from them was Layla and Yuri. For some reason, the sight made her stomach queasy.

"What's wrong?" Leon murmured.

"I think I'm gonna puke."

That made him turn his head completely towards her. Discretely, he shifted closer so she could lean on him.

_I don't get it. It's just a tryout. I hardly ever feel nauseous for actual shows, but this…this competition is getting to me. _She looked over at Layla again and she _really _looked at her. The tall blonde's hair flowed behind her in a high ponytail. Even from this distance, she could see Layla's face set in determination.

_Am I intimidated?_ She let that thought mull around. It didn't quite fit the bill.

_I think…I'm excited…_

"We're competing," she murmured.

"Yes."

She turned to look at him. "I've never competed against her before."

She had been challenged by the cold beauty, but never had she been up against Layla directly. Leon tilted his head at the gleam entering her eyes. He thought about what it meant for her to be facing her old mentor.

"…You can overcome her."

_Sora can finally step out of the tall shadow of Layla Hamilton._ He felt a lightness inside at the prospect for his partner. Even in the time he had been here, which was under two years, the very walls of the Kaleido Stage constantly whispered the triumphs of Layla Hamilton.

They could now be silenced with Sora's name.

She pondered his statement. "You can finally beat Yuri."

His eyes widened a little. It was true, he never did get to compete against the man responsible for his sister's death. _Perhaps with this I can be rid of him._ To be able to perform the maneuver that Sophie always wanted and this time Yuri could not stop it…

Yes, winning today would mean a great deal to him as well.

"Let's win," she firmly stated as she slipped her hand into his.

He looked at her for a long time before she saw him decidedly nod.

IN

As the two pairs performed against each other, the competitors for the other roles watched from the audience.

Unbeknownst to Sora, May was there.

Kalos had sent an invitation for her to try out for the role of Odile as a guest performer. To the owner of the stage, he had a feeling that May would fit the bill quite perfectly; however, he would rather not have another incident like Leon's fall again. He was not certain if May was ready to rejoin this stage, so he left the invite as a temporary contract rather than a permanent one.

There was great potential in her as well, but only if she was able to overcome her jealousy.

May came, but she really didn't think she'd join the production. It was her current boss that had pushed her to at least try out since Kalos would be willing to pay the fee for her to perform. As of late, May was in low spirits; her boss hoped a change in scenery would do the trick.

Her electric eyes were fixated on their forms. Reluctantly, she started to follow Sora and Leon's performance, especially when they deviated from the set routine.

Soon, though, there were no feelings of resentment as she watched.

There was a smile playing on her lips as she thought about her siblings and how much closer they used to be before she started to compete in ice skating, and now with performing.

_I forgot how nice that used to be…_

IN

Leon followed her with ease.

He took in her spirited twists and the flares of her arms and legs. Her red hair cascaded through the air as she tossed her head back.

She was captivating.

It was only by the sudden gasp nearby that he noticed that Layla was now looking over at Sora. The blonde's eyes were wide; he could see that frigid ice crack as a smile bloomed on her face. Yuri noticed the change as well and he blinked hard, seeing if it was just the trick of the light.

Layla's lips were still in a smile.

Leon knew, then, that there would be no more trouble coming from her.

IN

He balanced her on his feet for half a second and then swung his legs upward, effectively launching her back into the air.

The morning light made her gossamer wings glimmer as she flitted about in the air like an ethereal being.

He thought he had been lost before during the try outs, but this image of her now…

She was enchanting, untouchable and yet completely tangible. _How could she be both? _He was not certain of that, but that was the impression he got from her.

_She makes the stage alive._ He adjusted his form so he'd swing from his feet. As he crossed his arms and her hands lightly rested on his shoulders, he watched, transfixed as her eyes lidded and she leaned down. He leaned up for her kiss as if this was the only moment in which he could receive one.

The faintest touch of her lips sent a shock to his system.

She pushed off of his shoulders, a playful smile on her face as she backflipped away from him.

_"Each moment on the stage is unique and special," came his sister's words from years ago. "You never relive the same experience so treasure it when it comes."_

_How true that is_. He was understanding his sister's words a lot more with Sora teaching him their meaning. He let out a half smile at the thought.

When had she started doing that?

IN

He stayed there, holding her for the longest of time.

She panted as she caught her breath after their performance. She heard a single person clapping; she looked and saw Layla standing up. Her eyes watered as her friend led the standing ovation that quickly occurred.

Cheering erupted. They could hear the happiness within them.

She looked up at Leon, her face stuck in a big smile. His eyes swirled with so much, she wasn't all that surprised when he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened it.

The stage was wild with giddiness. She could feel it thrumming in her blood along with her own excitement in achieving the impossible with him.

IN

IN

IN

AN: Ok, I guess the main story is done, but another idea popped in my head that didn't fit for this chapter however, I really want to add it in. XD

So...there's one more, I guess is what I'm saying...A bonus chapter, if you will.

In the meantime...

Thank you all so very very much for reading this! I have enjoyed your reviews and I am glad that this story is a favorite to several of you. :D


	101. Chapter 101

AN: Bonus Story!

IN

IN

IN

A few years passed.

Her husband had stepped out to run a quick errand, which gave her some time to get ready.

Sora had showered and brushed out her hair. She was looking through their closet to find that perfect dinner outfit, but nothing really stood out. She huffed and placed her hands along her hips. _He'll be coming home soon._ They finally had a break in their busy schedule and she was wasting time trying to find something to wear.

The front door of the apartment opened.

She squeaked, quickly pushing dresses and skirts aside. Her hand paused on a familiar dress that was shoved in the back. She bit her lip as she considered it. Then, she nodded to herself and pulled it out of the closet.

IN

Leon took off his shoes at the doorway and then walked onto the carpet.

On the wall of their apartment were pictures of them at Mario's Pizzeria, the ice skating rink in which he had proposed to her, and then several shots of them at the wedding.

He took a look at the frame with the three consecutive photos of her smearing some cake frosting over his mouth, then, the photo next to that had him shoving the cake over her face. He chuckled in memory of her indignant sound; she of course made him pay for that by rubbing her face into his, but he still thought it was worth it.

The last photo depicted the extent of their short cake fight as his lovely bride had frosting in her bangs and her lower face a sort of cake beard; he did not fare any better. However, the adoring look she gave him as they kissed in the photo and the softened grey of his eyes easily made this photo one of his favorites.

"Almost ready!" he heard her call out from the bedroom.

He blinked out of his thoughts. He had not realized she was still changing.

"Any longer and my hair will be white."

He grinned as she chucked her heel at him from down the hall. "Smart ass."

"What language," he shook his head as he retrieved her shoe. His grin faded a little upon recognizing the black open toed heel. _I have not seen this in a long time._

He heard her coming down the hallway. He looked up to see her in _The Dress._

Her hands nervously smoothed the dress over. "It's not too tight, it is?"

It had been about three years since he had seen her wear it, but he recalled it all: the form fitting cut, the sweetheart neckline with incredibly thin straps that was more of a tease than anything. Her little black dress still fit her, though, unless he was mistaken, he thought she filled it a lot better now than she had back then.

_Too tight?_ She was worried about it not fitting while he was wondering how he was going to survive the dinner without letting his desire overwhelm him.

"It is fine."

When he handed her shoe back with his eyes averted, she bit her lower lip. _Is he uncomfortable with me wearing it? _She didn't forget what happened the last time she wore it. It was why she had decided to wear it now. She tended to associate certain memories with what she wore; she hoped that she could somehow make better ones now so she'd have happier memories with this dress.

_But not at the expense of his discomfort._

"I could change if you don't want me to wear it."

His eyes slid over to her. "That is not the issue."

Despite how much time they spent together, he could still make her breath hitch. His eyes were simmering as he stared at her. She felt her face flush a little and she was the first to break the eye contact. Looking for something else to stare at, she looked at his shirt only to feel herself heat up even more upon noticing that it was the dark grey dress shirt she liked on him.

Something red caught her eye; she thankfully looked down to see a bouquet of deep red roses in his hand.

"For me?" she playfully asked.

He lifted the bouquet up. "Who else?"

She giggled then and then stepped closer to grab them from him. With her close, he breathed in her vanilla scent. His eyes lidded as he found himself wanting something other than food at the moment.

She quickly walked into the kitchen to grab a vase for the roses. She needed some air after catching a whiff of that musky pine and something heady that he put on for dates. _At this rate we'll not get to the restaurant tonight. _As she reached for the vase on the second shelf, her mind quipped _what's wrong with that?_

She couldn't seem to find a counter argument for that.

While she was talking to herself, he came up behind her. Her hair was pinned up, allowing him an unrestricted view of her slender neck and petite shoulders. His fingers followed the arch of her neck. She shivered violently as goosebumps appeared before his eyes.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, trying to gauge if they could alter their previous plans.

Her lashes fluttered as his warm breath ghosted her skin.

"_Very_," he huskily said.

She mewled when his lips kissed the back of her neck. "Me too."

He did not need another incentive.

IN

Somehow between the caressing, sucking, kissing and biting they were able to stumble down the hallway and into their room.

He kept her in front of him with her back to him.

She heavily breathed as he slowly unzipped her dress while nipping the exposed skin as it was revealed to him, but he did not let the dress fall just yet. He laid wet, open mouthed kisses down her spine. She shakily called out to him, vaguely registering the fact that he must have unhooked her strapless bra sometime for he continued his licks and sucks without pausing.

"Why do you call out to me?" he murmured against her skin.

Her mind was in a haze, but she heard the roughness in his voice. She liked hearing it, but she was still easy to fluster when he said things like that. _Sadistic_. She knew he liked to make her blush.

"You know why."

He stopped his ministrations.

She said various things to him during this intimacy that he liked to hear from her. Call it a strange character quirk or something similar, but when he first heard her say things in the throes of passion, he immediately knew that he liked it immensely.

He ran a finger along her bare back but only briefly.

"Make love to me," she whispered, finally caving in. "Make me think only of you."

That must have done it for she felt him slowly run his hot tongue up her spine. She softly moaned and her head tilted back onto his chest; his eyes raged a heady storm. Her eyes closed when his mouth claimed hers and his hands slipped past her dress and ran along her body.

The black material finally hit the carpet.

IN

The pillows propped him up on the bed as his hands led her hips in a slow rhythm.

Her hands tightly gripped the headboard behind his head, she hadn't stopped moaning since they began. Her forehead rested on his; she attempted to keep her eyes open and connected with his for as long as she could, but he was driving her up the wall with this agonizingly slow pace.

"_Leon," _she panted.

She didn't need to say anything more; he could hear the want and desperation all in that one word. _Magnificent._ But not yet. She told him to make her think only of him.

He didn't think they were there just yet.

_I aim to please_, he headily thought as he sucked on her lower lip.

IN

It was a few hours away from dawn when he woke up with her cheek on his chest and her hand along his torso. He lay awake with his thoughts and the feeling of her soft body touching his.

How did he get to this point in his life?

He couldn't say he had particularly done anything to deserve this. His eyes slid to the top of his wife's head as it moved up and down with the expansion of his chest as he breathed. _I most certainly wouldn't deem myself worthy of her._ If he had been Destiny, he wouldn't allow someone like him to have someone like her.

Not to say that he was willing to give her up.

_On what honor I have left, I swear I will not. _He was a selfish being; he never hid that fact from anyone.

He thought about the lingering image from his dream that made him awaken. His sister, instead of looking at him with sad eyes as was the norm when she appeared in his dreams, was beaming at him as she stood in front of him. She waved at him and then she was off across the fields and into the unknown.

_Were you looking out for me?_ His face grew solemn. _Have you finally completed your task?_

He gave a great breath out. He was going to miss seeing her in his dreams, but he could not find it in himself to be too upset. If her smile meant that she was finally at peace, then so would he.

Sora stirred a little.

"You awake?" she mumbled, her hand idly running along his stomach. She felt him sigh and then responded in the positive. Sometimes, she felt him stirring in his sleep, but as of late he had been sleeping pretty heavily. "Bad dream?"

"…A good one."

She nuzzled his chest. "That's good."

She was settling down to go back to sleep when he quietly spoke again.

"I love you."

Her eyes shot open. She could count on one hand—using only half of her fingers—the number of times he said that directly. He was not a verbally expressive man, she had come to terms with that, but it didn't mean she didn't like hearing it out loud.

She grabbed the hand along her waist and turned her head a little so that she could kiss his palm.

"I love you too," she murmured and then laid her cheek back on his chest, "Now go back to sleep. We still have two more hours before needing to get up."

She felt him chuckle.

A few moments more and his breath evened out. She sleepily smiled and then closed her eyes, slumber quick to come with his heartbeat her lullaby.

_We'll have good memories with that black dress now, _was her last thought before falling asleep.

IN

IN

IN

The End.

AN: Now this story is complete!

Once again, thank you for reading! It was a joy to be your author for this crazy story! :D

Side note: Even with finished works, I still appreciate feedback. Helps me see what works or doesn't work. :)


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